TMC will join all-party anti-terror delegation if formally invited: Mamata
Kolkata: Asserting her party is not boycotting the Centre’s multi-party diplomatic initiative aimed at countering Pakistan-sponsored terrorism, Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee on Monday affirmed that the party will send its representatives once an official request is received from the Centre.
She clarified that her party received no such request from the Centre for names on all-party delegations and the BJP cannot decide who will represent Trinamool.
In reply to media questions at Kolkata airport ahead of her North Bengal tour, she again affirmed her party’s support for the Union government in combating terrorists and issues concerning national interest.
“No request came to us. If a request comes to us, then we could consider it. We are in favour of the country. We have consistently supported the Centre’s policy on external affairs issues,” she mentioned.
“At present, we are supporting the Centre’s views and actions. However, they cannot decide the member’s name on their own. It is not their choice, it is the choice of the party. If they requested me to send someone, we will decide the name and tell them. It is not that we are boycotting or that we are not going,” Banerjee stated.
Her statement came after a controversy broke out that TMC MP Yusuf Pathan was forced to opt out of the multi-party diplomatic delegation. The BJP has attacked Bengal’s ruling party for the development.
Clarifying her party’s stand that they would not boycott the mission, Banerjee said: “It is wrong to say that we are boycotting or not going. They need to inform the party. They (Centre) never inform us. They should have asked the mother party for names instead of the parliamentary party which discusses the Bills in the Parliament. It takes decisions regarding the Parliament, and that too, after consulting with the party. I am the chairperson of the Parliamentary party in Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. However, we are never informed. We will definitely send a representative if they inform us. We are fully supporting them and have no hesitation in saying it.”
Speaking on the issue Trinamool Congress national general secretary and Diamond Harbour MP Abhishek Banerjee stated that they will stand with the Centre shoulder to shoulder in whatever decision it takes when it comes to combating terrorism, but the Centre cannot decide unilaterally who will represent which party.
“We have stated this multiple times and will reiterate again: whatever decision the Union Government takes, which is aimed at — 1) combating and curbing terrorism; 2) safeguarding the sovereignty of the nation; 3) to protect the national interest of the party, we, as the party Trinamool Congress, will stand with the Centre shoulder-to-shoulder,” Abhishek told the media.
He further stated: “We don’t have any problem with a delegation. The BJP is running the Union government, and they can decide on their part on which representative BJP will send but they cannot decide the representatives that Congress, Trinamool, DMK, AAP, or Samajwadi Party will send. They could have asked us to nominate representatives for a delegation, and we would have done it. How can BJP decide which representative Trinamool will send?”
Abhishek also said that the issue of Pakistan supporting terrorism should be raised at the global stage.
He said: “We strongly condemn the way Pakistan is supporting terrorism to disrupt peace in India. That should be raised at the global stage. But it is the party’s decision to decide on its representative in such delegations.”
