New Delhi [India], May 20 (ANI): Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh on Sunday launched a sharp attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Central government, alleging that the recent move to send all-party delegations across the globe reflects a 'momentary, hypocritical, and opportunistic' shift in India's diplomatic approach.

In a post on X, Jairam alleged that the BJP's 'poisonous politics at home' has damaged India's global image.

'After 11 years of abusing and defaming the Opposition - especially the Congress - the PM is now forced to send all-party delegations overseas. The truth is that the BJP's poisonous politics at home have cost us hugely abroad. Our sanctimonious diplomacy has fallen flat, and India is back to being hyphenated with Pakistan. That is the real 'new normal.' The self-styled Vishwaguru's balloon - which was full of hot air - has been well and truly punctured. It is a reflection of his own inadequacies - now completely exposed - that the Prime Minister is now turning towards bipartisanship. But this is only momentary, hypocritical, and opportunistic,' the Congress MP said.

https://x.com/Jairam_Ramesh/status/1924420098753990940

Earlier, Jairam Ramesh expressed strong objection to the Centre choosing only one party MP out of its four nominations for the all-party delegations formed to mobilise global support on Operation Sindoor.

'Rahul Gandhi wrote a letter and before 12 noon on the 16th May, we sent 4 names from our party for the all-party MPs delegation- Anand Sharma, Gaurav Gogoi, Nasir Hussain and Raja Brar. The government had mischievous intentions from the beginning, they added 4 more names which were not in our list... We know that Operation Sindoor is being politicised... But the Congress party believes that national interest is paramount... They have included only one name from our list, 4 more are our MPs, they are not representatives of the party, but they should listen to their conscience and not politicise it,' Jairam Ramesh said.

Congress has recommended that Anand Sharma, Gaurav Gogoi, Nasir Hussain, and Raja Brar be part of the delegation. However, the BJP-led central government chose only Anand Sharma from the recommended list and took the liberty of selecting other Congress members, including Shashi Tharoor, Manish Tewari, Amar Singh, and Salman Khurshid.

The all-party delegations will project India's national consensus and resolute approach to combating terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. They will convey to the world the country's strong message of zero tolerance for terrorism.

The list includes MPs from multiple parties, divided into seven groups of 8 to 9 members. A leader has been assigned for each group, who will lead the delegation at a global level.

The Members of Parliament include Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad, JDU leader Sanjay Kumar Jha, BJP leader Baijayant Panda, DMK leader Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, NCP (SP) leader Supriya Sule, and Shiv Sena leader Shrikant Eknath Shinde.

Seven all-party delegations, each led by a prominent leader from various political parties, will visit different countries to highlight India's zero-tolerance policy towards terrorism.

Delegation 1, led by BJP MP Baijayant Panda, will visit Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Algeria.

Delegation 2, led by BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad, will visit the UK, France, Germany, EU, Italy, and Denmark.

Delegation 3, led by JDU MP Sanjay Kumar Jha, will visit Indonesia, Malaysia, Republic of Korea, Japan, and Singapore.

Delegation 4, led by Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Eknath Shinde, will visit the UAE, Liberia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Sierra Leone.

Delegation 5, led by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, will visit the USA, Panama, Guyana, Brazil, and Colombia.

Delegation 6, led by DMK MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, will visit Spain, Greece, Slovenia, Latvia, and Russia.

Delegation 7, led by NCP (SCP) MP Supriya Sule, will visit Egypt, Qatar, Ethiopia, and South Africa. (ANI)