NEW DELHI: A multi-party parliamentary delegation led by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor visited the United States as part of India’s post-Operation Sindoor diplomatic outreach. The group included lawmakers from across party lines: Shambhavi Chaudhary (LJP), Sarfaraz Ahmed (JMM), Harish Balayogi (TDP), Shashank Mani Tripathi (BJP), Tejaswi Surya (BJP), Bhubaneswar Kalita (BJP), Milind Deora and Mallikarjun Devda (Shiv Sena), and former Indian ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu.The visit, however, was overshadowed by an alleged diplomatic breach by a young BJP MP.BJP MP’s solo Trump meeting sparks backlashAccording to a media report flagged by Karnataka minister Priyank Kharge, the BJP MP, upset after fellow delegate Milind Deora met Donald Trump Jr and Eric Trump, tried to arrange a meeting with US President Donald Trump himself.
As per the report, failing to secure a formal appointment, the MP allegedly travelled to Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s Florida estate, with help from a personal friend in the US. The MP was reportedly introduced as a “close associate of the Indian head of state”, a move that backfired when Trump allegedly responded with blunt and embarrassing remarks.The MP returned to India and remained silent about the encounter. Sources suggest the BJP leadership later reprimanded him and issued a warning.Kharge demands answers from MEAReacting to the incident, Congress MLA Priyank Kharge took to X to question the conduct and protocols followed. “If this news of the BJP MP’s immature approach is accurate, it is nothing short of disgraceful,” he wrote.Kharge asked whether the ministry of external affairs (MEA) was informed or consulted about the unsanctioned meeting and demanded to know what action was taken against the MP. “What justified this impulsive and immature conduct?” he wrote, calling the act a “serious insult to India’s institutional integrity.”Centre accused of double standardsKharge also accused the central government of bias, highlighting how the MEA allegedly blocked his official visit to a biotech convention in the US earlier this year, only to reverse the decision after public pressure.“Why are BJP MPs allowed to violate protocol for photo-ops while state ministers are denied clearance for investment missions?” he asked.