Operation Sindoor: Sharad Pawar snubs Sanjay Raut over 'boycott delegation' remark

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut virtually received a rebuke from his senior alliance partner NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar on Monday (May 19) for his remark that the INDIA bloc partners should have boycotted the all-party delegation by the Centre for reaching out to the global communities on Operation Sindoor and India’s action against terrorism.

Speaking to reporters in Baramati, the former Union Minister said when international issues come up, they should be prioritised and one should not drag in local issues.

"When international issues crop up, the party-level politics should be shunned. Today, the Centre has formed some delegations, and they have been assigned to go to some countries and put forth India's stand about the Pahalgam attack and the subsequent activities from Pakistan,” said Pawar.

Also Read: India-Pak conflict LIVE: Op Sindoor delegations will defend Centre's 'sins and crime', says Raut

‘Don’t drag in local politics’

Despite saying that Raut has the right to express his personal opinion, Pawar added that one leader of his party is part of the delegation. “I feel local-level politics should not be brought into this issue," he added, referring to Shiv-Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi. NCP (SP) working president and Baramati MP Supriya Sule is also part of the delegation.

Pawar also recalled that he was a member of a delegation sent by former Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao to the UN under the leadership of BJP leader Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Also Read: Yusuf Pathan drops out of anti-terror outreach team; TMC blames Centre

What Raut said?

Pawar’s virtual snub comes a day after Raut called for a boycott of the Centre’s all-party delegation, alleging that they would be defending the government’s "sins and crimes". Both Shiv Sena (UBT) and Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) are part of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) in Maharashtra along with Congress.

Also Read: Tharoor's raging ambitions not sitting well with Congress in Kerala

51-member delegation

The Centre has set up a 51-member delegation of political leaders, parliamentarians and former ministers cutting across party lines to travel to different capitals and uphold India’s actions against terrorism and Operation Sindoor.

While Congress has agreed to allow its MPs, including Shashi Tharoor, whose name did not feature in the list of suggested names by the party, to take part in the delegation, the Trinamool Congress has decided against sending its MP Yusuf Pathan, alleging that the Centre chose him without consulting the party.

(With agency inputs)