Didi: TMC Not Out Of Op Sindoor Outreach Team, Can Pick MP if Centre Requests
Asked about Mr Pathan, Ms Banerjee added, “I said they cannot decide the names. If they request us, the mother party, then the party will decide the names. This is customary. This is the system. We are totally with the central government regarding external affairs policy. We are fully supporting them. We have no hesitation to say that. Is it clear?”
Kolkata: West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee made it clear on Monday that her party Trinamul Congress has not opted out of the Centre’s diplomatic mission on the country's outreach campaign about Operation Sindoor to various countries.
The TMC supremo asserted that she would recommend the names of her party MPs if and when she is informed by the Centre instead of selecting the names on its own without informing her or her party.
The CM was trying to explain why her party MP from Berhampore Yusuf Pathan withdrew his name from the all-party delegation.
Before flying to North Bengal on a tour, Ms Banerjee said, “Let us be very clear. Nowadays the system is that they don't inform the mother party. They only inform the parliamentary party. But the parliamentary party works for the parliamentary session. But they cannot take a policy decision. So no request came to us. If the request comes to us, we can of course consider it.”
She elaborated, “We are totally in favour of the country. I told you earlier also in external affairs issues, we always use to support the central government policy. If anything is special, we will think of it but not now. At present, we are supporting the central government's views and actions. They cannot decide the members’ names on their own. It is not their choice. It is the choice of the party.”
The CM pointed out, “If they request me to send someone, we will decide the name and will tell them. It is not that we are boycotting or are not going. That is wrong. The mother party has to be informed. Parliamentary party discusses the bills tabled in the parliament. It takes decisions only after consulting the party. I am the chairperson of our parliamentary party in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. But we are never informed. If we are informed, we will certainly give the names. Why won't we…? So there is no room for a controversy about it.”
Asked about Mr Pathan, Ms Banerjee added, “I said they cannot decide the names. If they request us, the mother party, then the party will decide the names. This is customary. This is the system. We are totally with the central government regarding external affairs policy. We are fully supporting them. We have no hesitation to say that. Is it clear?”
Her MP nephew Abhishek Banerjee earlier spoke in the same mood. “How can the union government decide on the TMC representative? They should have discussed it with the opposition to decide which representative a party will send. How can the BJP unilaterally decide which representative TMC will send? They can't. TMC will decide who will go if informed by the Centre.”
