Abhishek Banerjee Opts Out of External Affairs Meeting After International Delegation

Trinamool Congress Leader's Decision

Kolkata, June 4: Abhishek Banerjee, the General Secretary of the Trinamool Congress, has announced that he will not participate in a meeting organized by the Ministry of External Affairs scheduled for Thursday. This announcement came after his return from an international trip.

Banerjee was part of an all-party delegation led by JD(U) MP Sanjay Kumar Jha, which aimed to enhance India's global outreach following Operation Sindoor, a decisive military action in response to the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22.

The delegation comprised members from various political parties, including the Janata Dal (United), BJP, Congress, CPI(M), and Trinamool Congress, and visited several countries such as Indonesia, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, and Malaysia.

He has already communicated his inability to attend the meeting to the External Affairs Minister's office. Instead, he plans to send a written report to EAM Jaishankar regarding the outcomes of the delegation's tour.

Banerjee mentioned that he would address the media after submitting his written communication to the External Affairs Minister.

During the past 15 days, the delegation visited five countries and participated in numerous discussions. Although the External Affairs Minister's meeting is set for Thursday, Banerjee cited prior commitments and the recent announcement of a by-election in Kaliganj as reasons for his absence. He expressed his intention to inform the ministry of his views in writing before discussing them with the press.

Initially, Yusuf Pathan, a cricketer-turned-politician and Trinamool Congress MP from Baharampur in Murshidabad district, was selected by the Centre to represent the party in the delegation. However, both West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee raised concerns about Pathan's selection, claiming that the Centre did not consult the Trinamool Congress leadership beforehand. Consequently, Pathan's name was withdrawn, and Abhishek Banerjee took his place.