Leaders of 16 opposition parties under the INDIA bloc have jointly written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanding a special session of Parliament to discuss key national security developments — from the Pahalgam terror attack to Operation Sindoor and the recent US-backed ceasefire announcement.
The demand was formalised on Tuesday during a meeting of the INDI Alliance leaders in the national capital. While the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) did not attend the meeting, it will send a separate letter to the prime minister with the same demand, bringing the total number of parties seeking the session to 17.
The joint letter has been signed by:
- Congress
- Trinamool Congress (TMC)
- Samajwadi Party (SP)
- Shiv Sena (UBT)
- Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD)
- Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)
- Jammu & Kashmir National Conference
- Communist Party of India (Marxist)
- Communist Party of India (CPI)
- Indian Union Muslim League (IUML)
- Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP)
- Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM)
- Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK)
- Kerala Congress
- Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK)
- CPI (Marxist–Leninist) Liberation
AAP to send separate letter
While the AAP did not sign the joint letter, it has confirmed it will send a separate communication to the Prime Minister on Wednesday, reiterating the demand for a special session. This takes the number of parties involved in the demand to 17. Notably, the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction) has not joined the demand.
Key opposition leaders back the move
The letter has also been signed by top political figures including:
- Rahul Gandhi
- Priyanka Gandhi
- KC Venugopal (Congress)
- Akhilesh Yadav (Samajwadi Party)
- Abhishek Banerjee (TMC)
- Arvind Sawant (Shiv Sena-UBT)
- Prem Chandra Gupta (RJD)
What the opposition wants to discuss
The INDIA bloc leaders said the special session should allow for a full debate on national security, covering:
- The April 22 Pahalgam terror attack
- The Indian armed forces’ response through Operation Sindoor
- The ceasefire announcement by the US
- India’s diplomatic outreach abroad
- Strategy discussions to combat terrorism going forward
Congress MP Deepender Singh Hooda said, “We stood with the armed forces during the Pahalgam attack and Operation Sindoor. But now, when the government is making its case globally, Parliament too must be taken into confidence. This is a moment to collectively thank our soldiers and plan ahead.” TMC MP Derek O’Brien added, “Parliament is accountable to the people. The government is accountable to Parliament. That’s why a special session is necessary.”
The opposition parties have also proposed that the session be convened in June, after multi-party delegations return from overseas visits related to India's anti-terror campaign.
(With inputs from agency)
