Cong, BJP now spar over upcoming NDA CMs' meet

After the issue of nominations to delegations selected for India's global outreach against Pakistan-sponsored terrorism, the May 25 meeting of ruling NDA chief ministers has become the latest point of confrontation between the BJP and the Congress.

The opposition Congress for its part continues to question the meeting for NDA CMs alone asking why the CMs of all states were not being invited for a briefing on Operation Sindoor.

"The Prime Minister has called for a meeting of only NDA chief ministers on May 25th to take political mileage from Operation Sindoor. The Congress demands that the chief ministers of all states be called," Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said even as the Congress last night announced it would not stoop so low as to disallow its MPs named by the government to travel as part of the official political delegation to various countries.

Jairam Ramesh said inviting NDA CMs and not all CMs would amount to double standards of the government. The BJP however hit back saying the Congress was habituated to politicising everything.

"The NDA chief ministers’ meeting has been called for the 25th of May because the chief ministers of all states will be in Delhi to attend the NITI Aayog Governing Council Meeting on 24th, which was scheduled long ago. There is nothing stopping the INDI Alliance -- if it still exists — from asking the Chief Ministers from its bloc to meet on the 24th or 25th after the meet," BJP leader Amit Malviya said.

He said the BJP had held a similar meeting in October 2024 in Chandigarh when all NDA chief ministers and deputy chief ministers came together to attend the swearing-in ceremony of the BJP government in Haryana for the third consecutive term.

"Remember, this was the election the Congress lost badly. As for the initiative to include sensible opposition MPs in the delegation representing India abroad following Operation Sindoor, it is a non-partisan move and should be welcomed," said Malviya.

He said there were no double standards here "just the Congress Party's incorrigible habit of politicising everything, which is regrettable."