Abhishek Banerjee to represent Trinamool in all-party delegation on Op Sindoor
New Delhi (PTI): Trinamool Congress national general secretary and Lok Sabha MP Abhishek Banerjee will represent the party in the all-party delegations that would visit different countries to convey India's stand post Operation Sindoor, sources said on Tuesday.
The decision came after Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju called Trinamool supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, a source said.
The source claimed Rijiju called Mamata Banerjee to "pacify" her and seek her suggestions for a representative to the multi-party delegations from her party.
Earlier, the Centre named Trinamool MP and former India cricketer Yusuf Pathan as a member of one of the seven diplomatic delegations that will travel to different foreign countries to put across India's stand on tackling terrorism against the backdrop of Operation Sindoor.
However, Yusuf later opted out.
On Monday, both Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee said the Centre should not decide who the party nominates for the all-party delegations.
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UP court rejects plea seeking Rahul Gandhi's voice sample in defamation case
Sultanpur (UP) (PTI): A local MP/MLA court on Saturday rejected a plea seeking a voice sample of Rae Bareli MP Rahul Gandhi in a defamation case filed by a BJP functionary against the Congress leader, and posted the matter for next hearing on May 11.
The plea, filed by BJP leader Vijay Mishra through his counsel Santosh Kumar Pandey, had sought Gandhi's voice sample for a forensic test to compare it with an audio clip.
After the petition was dismissed, Pandey said they would file a revision plea before the sessions court against the order.
The court rejected the plea after hearing the arguments of both sides, including Gandhi's counsel Kashi Prasad Shukla.
The matter dates back to 2018 when Mishra, a local BJP leader, filed a defamation suit over Gandhi’s alleged objectionable remarks targeting Amit Shah while campaigning for the Karnataka Assembly elections.
After five years of legal proceedings, the court issued a warrant against Gandhi in December 2023.
The Rae Bareli MP surrendered before the court in February 2024, and was granted bail on two sureties of Rs 25,000 each by a special magistrate.
On July 26 last year, the Congress leader recorded his statement before the court, claiming innocence and calling the case a political conspiracy.
Earlier this year, multiple hearings were postponed due to a strike by lawyers and the ill-health of Gandhi’s counsel.
