Derek O'Brien writes to S Jaishankar over Suvendu Adhikari's post
Sep 16, 2023
New Delhi [India], September 16 : Trinamool Congress MP Derek O' Brien, in a letter to External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar, has expressed displeasure over BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari's post on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's meeting with Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickramasinghe at Dubai airport.
In the letter, Derek O' Brien claimed that Suvendu Adhikari, through his social media post, 'ridiculed' the interaction between Mamata Banerjee and Ranil Wickramsinghe.
Derek O’Brien expressed concern about Suvendu Adhikari's recent comments on Twitter and during an interaction with journalists, where he ridiculed the interaction between West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, and the President of Sri Lanka, Ranil Wickramsinghe. Adhikari also made derogatory remarks about the Sri Lankan economy.
He said that Suvendu Adhikari has grossly misused his position as an MLA to try and maliciously hinder the economic cooperation between the West Bengal government and the Government of Sri Lanka.
On Suvendu Adhikari's post, Derek wrote, "These comments are an attempt to create an atmosphere of discord that goes against the spirit of cooperation and development. Such comments, made by a political representative, do not align with the values of diplomacy, respect, and responsible governance that our nation upholds."
O' Brien further stated that Adhikari’s comments on the West Bengal economy are totally inaccurate and a narrow-minded deliberate attempt to tarnish the state's emergence as an attractive FDI destination. He praised West Bengal’s leadership, governance model, geographical advantage, connectivity, skilled workforce, and ease of doing business, making it a sought-after economic partner.
Further, the TMC demanded that the Ministry of External Affairs intervene immediately and censure Suvendu Adhikari for attempting to damage relations between the State of West Bengal and the Republic of Sri Lanka. It emphasized that domestic political differences should not be used to malign the state's efforts to attract foreign investment, which ultimately benefits India as a whole.
O' Brien also stated that domestic political differences must not be used as a petty tool to malign the Government of West Bengal and damage its efforts to attract foreign investment for the benefit of the people of the state.
Sri Lanka holds a special place in India’s foreign policy and its Neighborhood First policy. India has consistently supported Sri Lanka during crises, maintaining strong ties in various aspects, including culture, economics, sports, and geo-strategy.
The controversy surrounding Adhikari’s statements has raised concerns about the potential impact on diplomatic and economic relations between India, West Bengal, and Sri Lanka.
