Mamata slams Centre over Yusuf Pathan row, reaffirms Trinamool’s stand on national security

West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on Monday addressed the controversy surrounding Yusuf Pathan’s exclusion from the Centre’s all-party delegation formed to expose Pakistan’s alleged involvement in terrorism. Speaking at Dum Dum Airport before leaving for North Bengal, Banerjee described the issue as “unnecessary” and stated that the Trinamool Congress remains firmly aligned with the Centre on all matters related to national security.

The Centre had named Trinamool MP and former cricketer Yusuf Pathan, representing Baharampur, as a member of the multi-party delegation. The team was formed after the Pahalgam terror attack to travel internationally and present evidence of Pakistan's alleged support for terrorism. According to Banerjee, the Centre made the decision without any communication with the Trinamool Congress. “We didn’t say we don’t want to send someone. The BJP made the decision without consulting us,” she said.

Banerjee further stated, “Shouldn’t they have informed the party first? We would have sent the name ourselves. Even as the party’s chairperson in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, I wasn’t informed.” She emphasised that decisions regarding party representation should be made in consultation with the party concerned. The Trinamool Congress later withdrew Yusuf Pathan’s name from the delegation after Union Minister Kiren Rijiju reportedly called him directly.

Trinamool’s national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee also commented on the issue earlier the same day. He questioned how the BJP could decide a party’s representative without discussion. “The Trinamool representative will be decided by Trinamool, not the BJP,” he said. Both leaders maintained that the selection process lacked prior communication and proper political coordination.

Mamata Banerjee concluded her remarks by clarifying that the party’s absence from the delegation should not be interpreted as a boycott. “There is no need for an unnecessary controversy. Just because no one from our party is going abroad doesn’t mean we’re boycotting anything. On national security issues, we stand with the Centre,” she said. The Trinamool Congress has maintained its support for India's interests in matters concerning national security despite withdrawing its name from the team.