New Delhi: “Is it so difficult to be patriotic,” Congress leader and former external affairs minister Salman Khurshid has asked, while saying that he is distressed at “people at home are calculating political allegiances.”
Khurshid is part of an all-party delegation led by JD(U) MP Sanjay Kumar Jha that is now in Malaysia to brief both leaders and common people in that country about India’s stance on terrorism and reasons behind Operation Sindoor. This delegation had earlier visited Indonesia, South Korea, Japan and Singapore.
Though Khurshid did not take names, his statement was clearly aimed at his own party – the Congress – that has been questioning the role of such delegations and the way Its MPs are supporting the Indian government.
The other members of the delegation are BJP MPs Brij Lal, Pradan Baruah, Hemang Joshi, and Aparajita Sarangi; Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee; CPI (M)’s John Brittas and Mohan Kumar.
“When on mission against terrorism, to carry India’s message to the world, it’s distressing that people at home are calculating political allegiances. Is it so difficult to be patriotic,” Khurshid posted on X.
The Congress was not happy with the selection of MPs by the Centre and has claimed that the names suggested by it were ignored.
Earlier last week, Congress Rajya Sabha MP and spokesperson Jairam Ramesh had said: “Our MPs are roaming and the terrorists are also roaming.”
Speaking about his post on X to ANI, Khurshid said how he is continuously facing several questions, which he believes “are not very encouraging when you want to do something for the nation.”
“People keep saying, ‘what are you doing in a delegation where there are people from the BJP. What are you doing there?’ What are we doing here? What we are doing here is what is needed for the country. No matter which party you are from, today what is needed is a single voice to speak in favour of the nation and that is what we are doing here. I think when I say – is it so difficult to be a patriot? – that is the question that has to be asked of those who are putting out tweets and saying things that I think I believe are not very encouraging when you want to do something for the nation,” he said.
Khurshid said that he is carrying out the anti-terror drive because it is “India first”.
“…People are saying, he (Salman Khurshid) is supporting so and so and he is not supporting so and so; they are supporting Government etc. Have I come here to oppose the Government of India? If I wanted to do that, I would stay at home. I have come here to speak for India, whoever speaks for India and in whichever way they speak for India, whatever is said for India, we are here to support. It is only a short period of 10-12 days, then you have to go back home and do what you are required to do at home. But here for India first, India and only India,” the Congress veteran said.
While in Indonesia a week ago, Khurshid had said how Article 370 had created a feeling that Jammu and Kashmir was separate from the rest of India.
While addressing Indonesian think tanks and academics in Jakarta, Indonesia, Khurshid had said: “Kashmir had a major problem for a long time. Much of that was reflected in the thinking of the government in an article called 370 of the Constitution… But Article 370 was abrogated and it was finally put to an end.”
This clearly goes against the party line. Congress MP and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha is a great critic of the abrogation of Article 370. While in Kashmir, he had assured that the Congress would bring back Article 370 if voted to power at the Centre.