Opposition call for special Parl session on Pahalgam attack goes louder

The calls for a special Parliament session on Pahalgam terror attack have gone louder after the Opposition on Tuesday cited the 1994 resolution passed in Parliament against Pakistan during the heydays of militancy in Jammu and Kashmir, to press Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led BJP government to convene the session at an earliest.

The resolution passed on February 22, 1994 states: “The state of Jammu & Kashmir has been, is and shall be an integral part of India and any attempts to separate it from the rest of the country will be resisted by all necessary means…Pakistan must vacate the areas of J&K, which they have occupied through aggression; and resolves all attempts to interfere in the internal affairs of India will be met resolutely.”

Congress MP Jairam Ramesh informed on X about the 1994 resolution, stating: “The time has come to reiterate, renew, and refresh it – and more.” He urged the government to heed the call of Opposition leaders and convene a special session of the Parliament at the earliest.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, who is the Leader of Opposition(LOP) in Rajya Sabha, and senior leader Rahul Gandhi, the LOP in Lok Sabha, have shot separate letters to the PM, seeking a special Parliament session to deal with the situation created by the terror attack.

In his letter to the PM, Kharge said, “Hon’ble Prime Minister, at this moment, when unity and solidarity are essential, (the) Opposition believes that it is important to convene a special session of both houses of Parliament at the earliest. This will be a powerful demonstration of our collective resolve and will to deal with the brutal terror attack in Pahalgam on innocent citizens on 22 April 2025. It is our fond hope that the session will be accordingly convened.”

Ramesh, who is also the head of Congress’ communications wing, shared the letter on social media. In another letter, Rahul said: “Dear Prime Minister, the terrorist attack in Pahalgam has outraged every Indian. At this critical time, India must show that we will always stand together against terrorism. The Opposition believes that a special session of both Houses of Parliament should be convened, where the representatives of the people can show their unity and determination. We request that such a special session be convened at the earliest."

The Budget session of the Parliament, which started on January 31, ended on April 4. The Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha are scheduled to meet for the Monsoon Session in July.

The government had earlier called an all-party meeting to brief Opposition leaders on its future course of action. Kharge and Rahul have said the government had the full support of the Opposition for any action.

India