Kolkata, 4 June (H.S.) -Trinamool Congress leader and MP Abhishek Banerjee returned to India late Tuesday night after a multi-nation diplomatic tour aimed at strengthening India’s global stance against Pakistan. He was part of a seven-member delegation deployed by the Government of India to various countries, with the mission of highlighting issues related to terrorism and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir on the international stage.
Banerjee visited Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Indonesia, and Malaysia during the nearly 15-day diplomatic outreach. Speaking to the media shortly after arriving at Kolkata Airport around 12:15 a.m., he said, “The objective of this visit was to convey India’s message to the international community. We held significant discussions around cross-border terrorism and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in all five countries.”
A review meeting led by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar is scheduled for Wednesday in New Delhi, where all delegation members are expected to brief the Ministry on their engagements. However, Banerjee has opted out of the meeting citing prior political commitments, including preparations for upcoming by-elections in West Bengal. He has informed the Ministry of External Affairs about his unavailability and will be submitting his report in writing.
The delegation visits were part of the Indian government’s larger diplomatic initiative in the wake of ‘Operation Sindoor’ and rising India-Pakistan tensions. Initially, Congress MP Yusuf Pathan was nominated to represent the opposition. However, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee objected, insisting that her party would decide its own representative. Following consultations with Union Minister Kiren Rijiju, Abhishek Banerjee was nominated and subsequently approved as part of the delegation.
Throughout his tour, Banerjee strongly criticized Pakistan’s support for terrorism, asserting that “supporting Pakistan is equivalent to supporting terrorism.” His vocal stance was aligned with the Indian government’s objective of presenting a unified and assertive global narrative on the country’s national security concerns.
Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh