Congress MP Jairam Ramesh has strongly criticized the Centre for bypassing party consultations while finalizing names for the all-party delegation under the government's global outreach campaign against terrorism, dubbed Operation Sindoor.

Ramesh, a senior Congress leader and key spokesperson, expressed his disapproval over the lack of coordination with the opposition while selecting Members of Parliament (MPs) to represent India in partner countries. The initiative involves delegations visiting global capitals to showcase India's commitment to combating terrorism and building strategic international consensus.

“If it was important for the Congress MPs to be in the list, there should have been a discussion with the party leaders. They could have asked us to give the names,” Ramesh told reporters.

Taking a strong stand on the sanctity of India’s democratic structure, he added, “In our country, political parties are the life of democracy. Parties form the Government, the Government does not form parties. We have a party system, but you have raised a question mark on this. What type of politics is this?”

While Ramesh clarified that the Congress has no objection to the individual MPs chosen for the delegations—many of whom, he noted, are experienced and respected in matters of foreign and defence policy—he took issue with the process adopted. “They are my good friends… The process that has been chosen is wrong. This is a notorious process, this should not have been done,” he asserted.

The government’s outreach program involves 51 politicians, including MPs and former ministers, representing various parties. They will be visiting countries like the US, UK, France, Japan, and Australia to counter global narratives around terrorism and reaffirm India’s commitment post the recent Pahalgam attack.