New Delhi, June 4 : India’s main opposition alliance is pushing for a Special Session of Parliament to discuss national security and foreign policy concerns following a deadly terror attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir, senior opposition leaders said on Tuesday.
Leaders of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) met in the capital to present a united front amid rising political tensions over the government’s handling of recent security incidents, including the Pahalgam attack and civilian casualties in Poonch, Uri and Rajouri.
“The Parliament has not been briefed, even as foreign governments and international media have received detailed updates,” a senior opposition figure told Reuters, requesting anonymity. “There must be a full and frank debate in Parliament.”
The INDIA bloc, composed of multiple opposition parties, is still undecided on whether to issue a joint letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi or have each MP submit individual appeals requesting a Special Session. A final decision on the approach is expected after Tuesday’s meeting.
Several multi-party delegations are currently touring foreign capitals to highlight Pakistan’s alleged role in sponsoring terrorism. The opposition has requested that the Parliament session be convened after these delegations return next week. The move, however, is not without dissent within the alliance. Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction) is unlikely to participate in the meeting, with party leader Sharad Pawar expressing reservations about discussing the issue in Parliament.
“I am not against calling a Special Session,” Pawar said on Monday. “But this is a sensitive matter, and such issues should be handled confidentially in the national interest.”
Meanwhile, Rashtriya Janata Dal MP Manoj K. Jha on Monday sent a letter to Prime Minister Modi demanding a Special Session. He cited concerns over alleged foreign interference in India’s foreign policy, particularly remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Trump, who has claimed credit for brokering peace between India and Pakistan over a dozen times since operations began, has drawn criticism from Indian lawmakers.
“The American intervention has hyphenated India and Pakistan once again,” Jha wrote. “What began as India’s legitimate counterterrorism response has become another chapter in President Trump’s self-proclaimed role as global peacemaker.”
India’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh chaired an all-party meeting on May 8 to brief political leaders on the government’s response to the security situation, but opposition parties argue that the evolving developments warrant a broader and more transparent discussion in Parliament.
