‘It’s vital that government takes nation, lawmakers into full confidence’
New Delhi: More Opposition MPs on Monday joined the call for convening a special session of Parliament in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack.
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Manoj Jha wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while Communist Party of India (CPI) MP P Sandosh Kumar sent a letter to Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, urging them to convene a special session of Parliament to express the will of the nation and send a message of unity.
Independent Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal had on Sunday requested political parties to urge the government to convene a special session of Parliament as early as possible in May. The former Union minister has called for passing a resolution condemning the Pahalgam terror attack to convey the message to the world that the country is united.
Jha, in his letter addressed to the Prime Minister, said the Parliament of India stands as the cornerstone of the republic and the highest forum for democratic expression.
“At this time of grief and testing, the Parliament must come together to pay heartfelt homage to the victims of the Pahalgam attack, honour their memory, and reaffirm our shared commitment to the ideals of unity, justice and peace,” Jha said.
He said it is essential that the government takes the nation and its elected representatives into full confidence, adding that a shared national response, built through consultation and consensus, is the surest path to preserving unity and safeguarding our nation.
“It is in this spirit that I respectfully urge you to convene a special session of Parliament, dedicated exclusively to an open and principled discussion on the Pahalgam attack and its broader implications for the security, well-being and aspirations of the people of India,” Jha said.
Kumar, a CPI MP from Rajya Sabha, in his letter addressed to Rijiju, said the special session would allow members across party lines to come together to mourn the loss and express the will of the nation.
He said the attack did not only cause immense sorrow to the victims’ kin but also shook the “collective conscience of our nation.”
“In these difficult times, it is imperative that our Parliament – the supreme voice of the people – comes together in solidarity to express our profound grief, pay homage to the victims and reiterate our nation’s unyielding resolve against terrorism,” he said.
“In view of the magnitude of this tragedy, I urge you to consider convening a Special Session of Parliament at the earliest. Such a session would allow Members across party lines to come together in one voice to mourn the loss, to express the will of the nation and to send a clear and strong message that India remains united, resilient and resolute against those who seek to harm us through acts of terror,” he said.
Kumar said Parliament should rise above political divides to embody the spirit and aspirations of the people.
“At this moment of national mourning, a collective expression of solidarity from the highest forum of democracy would be both timely and necessary,” he said.
On April 22, terrorists in Pahalgam gunned down 26 people, mostly tourists, in what is the deadliest attack in the Valley since the Pulwama strike in 2019.
An all-party meeting was called by the government on April 24 after the Pahalgam attack.
