Sanjay Raut Criticizes Government’s Plan to Send MPs Abroad Over Operation Sindoor, Likens it to a ‘Baraat’
New Delhi: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Sunday criticized the central government’s decision to send parliamentary delegations abroad to brief other nations on Operation Sindoor and India’s military standoff with Pakistan, calling it unnecessary and politically motivated.
“There was no need to send this baraat. The Prime Minister is weak. There was no need to rush this,” Raut said, questioning the purpose of dispatching multiple delegations at a time of heightened tensions. He specifically targeted MP Shrikant Shinde, son of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, asking, “What will the son of the Deputy CM represent abroad?”
The government recently announced that seven delegations, comprising 51 MPs and political leaders from various parties, would be sent to key world capitals to explain India’s stance on cross-border terrorism and build diplomatic pressure on Pakistan. These delegations, set to travel later this month, aim to present India’s resolve to counter terrorism following the Pahalgam terror attack, which triggered Operation Sindoor.
Prominent figures in these delegations include Congress’s Shashi Tharoor, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi, NCP (SP) leader Supriya Sule, and DMK’s Kanimozhi. Interestingly, Raut’s own party colleague, Priyanka Chaturvedi, is part of a delegation led by BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad, which also includes Daggubati Purandeswari (BJP), Ghulam Ali Khatana, Amar Singh (Congress), Samik Bhattacharya (BJP), MJ Akbar, and Pankaj Saran. This group is expected to visit the UK, France, Germany, the EU, Italy, and Denmark.
Of the 51 leaders in the delegations, 31 are from the ruling NDA, while 20 belong to non-NDA parties, ensuring a cross-party representation. Each of the seven delegations also includes at least one Muslim representative, reflecting a conscious effort to present a diverse political spectrum.
Despite this broad political representation, Raut called on the INDIA bloc, the opposition alliance, to boycott what he termed a politically driven exercise. “The BJP has politicized this; they have a habit of doing politics in everything,” Raut added, emphasizing his party’s disapproval of the move.
The controversy highlights the domestic political friction surrounding India’s handling of its recent conflict with Pakistan, adding a fresh layer of complexity to an already tense diplomatic situation.
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