India

Abhishek Banerjee To Skip MEA Meeting; Cites Prior Commitments & Will Submit Views In Writing

Trinamool Congress General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee, who was part of an all-party delegation visiting several countries, has confirmed he will not attend the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) meeting scheduled for Thursday.

Speaking in Kolkata after returning from the tour, Banerjee said he has already informed the EAM’s office about his unavailability. He added that he would instead submit his observations on the tour in writing.

Banerjee was a member of the delegation led by JD(U) MP Sanjay Kumar Jha, formed as part of India’s global outreach following Operation Sindoor – the military response to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam.

The delegation, comprising MPs from JD(U), BJP, Congress, CPI(M), and Trinamool Congress, visited Indonesia, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, and Malaysia over the past 15 days.

“We had toured five countries during the last 15 days. We attended several meetings. On Thursday, the External Affairs Minister will convene a meeting. But I will not be able to attend that. I have some pre-scheduled engagements. I was out of the country for some time. The Election Commission announced the by-election for Kaliganj. I have some work in my Parliamentary area. Will be busy with that for the next few days. I will inform the External Affairs Ministry about my opinion in writing. Once I inform the ministry, I will speak on that matter,” Banerjee told reporters.

Initially, Trinamool Congress MP and former cricketer Yusuf Pathan, elected from Baharampur in Murshidabad, nominated as the party’s representative in the delegation.

However, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee objected to the selection process, alleging that the Centre had chosen Pathan without consulting the party leadership, including the CM.

Following the objection, Yusuf Pathan’s name was withdrawn, and Abhishek Banerjee was named as the replacement.

Also Read: India Eyes Closer Ties As PM Modi Greets South Korea’s President-Elect Lee Jae-Myung

Mankrit Kaur

Recent Posts

Chhattisgarh: Seven Maoists Killed In Indravati National Park Operation

Five Maoists were killed in two separate encounters with security forces in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district,…

27 mins ago

Carney Invites Modi To G7 Summit, Highlights India’s Global Supply Chain Role

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said the most populous country, with the fifth-largest economy, must…

45 mins ago

RBI Frontloads Rate Cuts To Boost Growth Amid Low Inflation: Crisil

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has frontloaded its rate cuts to support economic growth,…

1 hour ago

PM Modi Urges Global Action On Coastal Resilience At Nice Summit

PM Narendra Modi on Saturday called for urgent global action to build infrastructure that can…

2 hours ago

CJI BR Gavai Highlights Technology’s Historic Role In India’s Judicial System

CJI BR Gavai during the academic forum at the School of Oriental and African Studies…

2 hours ago

Jaishankar Reaffirms India’s Zero Tolerance Policy On Terrorism In Talks With UK Foreign Secretary Lammy

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday met UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy and appreciated…

2 hours ago