New Delhi, May 17: Congress MP and former diplomat Shashi Tharoor on Saturday said he was "honoured" to be chosen by the Government of India to lead one of the all-party delegations travelling to key world capitals in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack, asserting that when national interest is involved, he would "not be found wanting."

Tharoor's acceptance statement came even as the Congress revealed that it had excluded him from the list of MPs it had officially submitted to the Centre for the initiative. The Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs named Tharoor among the seven MPs selected to lead the diplomatic outreach, aimed at exposing Pakistan's alleged involvement in the April 22 attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam, which claimed 26 lives.

Taking to X, Tharoor posted, "I am honoured by the invitation of the Government of India to lead an all-party delegation to five key capitals, to present our nation's point of view on recent events. When national interest is involved, and my services are required, I will not be found wanting. Jai Hind!"

Tharoor is among seven MPs, including BJP's Ravi Shankar Prasad and Baijayant Panda, JD(U)'s Sanjay Kumar Jha, DMK's Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, NCP (SP)'s Supriya Sule, and Shiv Sena's Shrikant Eknath Shinde, chosen to lead the delegations.

The government has tasked the teams with presenting a united Indian stance on terrorism and countering Islamabad's narrative globally. The Congress, however, appeared to distance itself from Tharoor's inclusion. Just hours after the Centre announced the names of delegation heads, Congress MP Jairam Ramesh revealed the four names the party had officially submitted to the government -- Anand Sharma, Gaurav Gogoi, Syed Naseer Hussain, and Raja Brar.

It showed that Tharoor was not the Congress' choice. "Yesterday morning, the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Kiren Rijiju, spoke with the Congress President and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha. The INC was asked to submit names of 4 MPs for the delegations to be sent abroad to explain India's stance on terrorism from Pakistan," Jairam Ramesh posted on X.

He added that by noon on May 16, Congress MP and Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi had written to Rijiju with four names on behalf of the party: Former Union Minister Anand Sharma, Deputy Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi, Rajya Sabha member Syed Naseer Hussain, and Lok Sabha MP Raja Brar.

This apparent disconnect between the Centre's announcement and the Congress list has further sharpened the spotlight on Tharoor, who has recently drawn criticism from within the party for praising the Modi government following the success of 'Operation Sindoor'.

Despite the political discord, the government-led initiative marks a rare moment of bipartisan coordination in India's foreign policy outreach. The delegations will visit key partner countries, including the United States, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, South Africa, Egypt, and Japan later this month.

The mission's dual focus will be to brief foreign governments on the Pahalgam attack and underline that India's retaliatory 'Operation Sindoor' specifically targeted terror infrastructure in Pakistan-occupied regions, not civilians.

(IANS)

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