Global Diplomatic Outreach

‘Political games, or government prerogative’? A May 19, 2025 Times of India headline aptly summed up the controversy generated by the arbitrary manner in which the Centre selected representatives of various political parties as part of the multi-party global diplomatic outreach on war against terror with specific focus on Pakistan’s role in abetting terrorism in India.

Not even a naïve could have missed the strong element of politics added by the NDA government in its pick and choose policy on the formation of delegations. The prime target seemed to be the Congress and the aim, ostensibly, looked to be to fan the factional feuds in the Grand Old Party (GOP). Otherwise, how would one describe the suo motu decision, without consulting the Congress’s top leadership, to include the names of high-profile but controversial Mr Shashi Tharoor, Mr Manish Tiwari and couple of others and rejecting the name proposed by the party.

Apart from Congress, also on the Radar of the Narendra Modi government was Ms Mamta Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress. After all West Bengal is a political hot-bed for the BJP where it has not been able to defeat her party. However, in her case, the Centre quickly took to a course correction and withdrew the name of Mr Yusuf Pathan, MP, selected by the government, and included the name of Ms Banerjee’s nephew on her recommendation.

That did not happen in the case of Congress. All protestations by the AICC leadership were overlooked leaving them with little choice but accept the fait- accompli. Or else, run the danger of facing outrage by the BJP’s troll army.

One very strange and not entirely surprising move was the inclusion of once towering Congress personality turned rebel, Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad in the delegation meant to tour the Muslim world. Mr Azad, the head of now almost defunct Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP), is perhaps the sole prominent face of his Jammu and Kashmir-centric party left after he recently dissolved all its units and over half-a-dozen of its senior leaders contested the recent assembly elections as independent candidates on failing to get a re-entry into Congress.

It has, naturally, given rise to a question as to why Mr Azad was chosen in this backdrop to be the part of an all-party delegation. One plausible explanation could be his towering stature as a national leader that led to his inclusion. There could be no second thought on this, notwithstanding the fact that his stature has considerably thinned after quitting Congress and failure of the DAPA experiment with his own close aides in the party, since parted ways, having reservations to his proximity with the Narendra Modi government which led some of them to contest as independent candidates rather than on DAPA tickets given the anti-BJP sentiment in their respective constituencies in the Union Territory.

No one can question Mr Azad’s status and his experience in domestic and international affairs. After all he was minister in successive Congress governments for over three decades. Even as Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, before quitting Congress, he enjoyed the status of a Cabinet Minister.

His inclusion in the delegation was quite which did not evoke any reaction. Perhaps, for Congress Mr Azad’s is a closed issue. However, the reports of his suddenly taking ill in the midst of the tour in Kuwait, brought the focus back on him. While everyone prayed for his quick recovery, it naturally raised certain questions.

What was the clincher behind his name finding favour with the Government, closely after having been named as a member of the high-powered committee on ‘One Nation, One Election’ (which has since submitted it report)?

Why did he choose to become member of a delegation headed by a comparatively junior BJP MP, Mr Jay Panda and included controversial Lok Sabha MP, Mr Nishikant Dubey (BJP) who is known for his minority bashing?

The answer to first part of the first question lies in Mr Azad having been selected to be part of the poll related committee as ‘One Nation, One Election’ is a BJP- agenda. The same spirit must have worked in the current case also. As his detractors describe it as “proximity to the powers that be of present times”.

Of late, 76-year Mr Azad has considerably reduced his travel out of Delhi particularly to his native-UT of Jammu and Kashmir. More so, after the fledgling DAPA quickly and drastically lost its relevance (which was primarily on account of Mr Azad’s acceptability and stature).

His decision to accept the offer to be part of an all-party delegation, obviously being given more importance by the Centre to him than to the premier Opposition party Congress, to undertake an arduous multi-nation trip to the Gulf nations in hot and sultry weather, betrays any justification. After all, he had been a globe-trotter while at the helm of Congress affairs particularly as a Minister for decades together.

A natural corollary flowing out of Mr Azad’s political contour after parting ways with the Congress, is that he was selected and he accepted to be a member of one of the delegations based on his close relations with the ruling dispensation. This is why his political experiment with DAPA failed sooner than expected, in the process sacrificed abundant goodwill that he had in Jammu and Kashmir, cutting across regions, religions and caste.

The diplomatic outreach of Mr Panda-led delegation began in Bahrain. It also included Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Algeria. However, Mr Azad suddenly developed health-related issues even before the delegation could leave Kuwait for the next destination. The obvious outcome was cutting short his tour and returning home on getting travel-fit.

The delegation visited Bahrain on May 23 and Kuwait on May 25, with Azad having participated in meetings with leaders in both nations. Mr Azad’s contributions to these meetings were significant, and he is disappointed about being bedridden,” Panda said. “We will greatly miss his presence in Saudi Arabia and Algeria,” Mr Panda said on arrival in Saudi Arabia with the delegation sans Mr Azad.

As quoted by ANI, in Kuwait, Mr Azad said “Pakistan spreads a lot of disinformation. It is their habit. So, in the meetings that were held today a lot of questions and answers took place. I think the disinformation which they used to hear have all been done away with. So, it was a really good program.”

Certainly, given his stature, understanding of both Jammu and Kashmir affairs, being the native, and goodwill that he enjoyed in the Muslim countries, his presence could have been an asset. His return on health grounds did not bode well either for him or the nation.

Nevertheless, his readiness to be part of the all-party delegations under the prevailing circumstances particularly back home in Jammu and Kashmir, has raised many uncomfortable questions. The first priority, obviously, should be his quick recovery and to be back in action.