Eleven member Indian official team at Mother Teresa’s canonisation at Vatican announced

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, Aug 31, 2016: The official delegation heading to Vatican on Sep 4 to attend Mother Teresa’s canonisation includes BJP and Cong leaders, a Supreme Court judge, an eminent lawyer and secretary general of Catholic Bishop Council of India.

The 11-member delegation is to be led by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.

As per the ministry, the 11-member delegation will include Public Accounts Committee Chairman and Congress MP KV Thomas, Goa Deputy Chief Minister Francis D’Souza, Supreme Court judge Justice Kurian Joseph, three Lok Sabha MPs — Anto Anthony (Cong), Jose K Mani (Kerala Cong), Conrad Sangma (National People’s Party) —BJP leader KJ Alphons, eminent lawyer Harish Salve and Bishop Theodore Mascarenhas, secretary-general of the Catholic Bishop Council of India.

Swaraj and her delegation will be joined by the former’s ministerial colleague, Union Cabinet Minister of Food Processing Harsimrat Kaur. The team will be accompanied by MEA Secretary (West) Sujata Mehta.

Earlier in the week, the ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup had said two delegations, led by chief ministers, had sought political clearance to attend the event and been granted the same. The two CMs were Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.