Rahul Gandhi, Kharge demand special Parliament session over Pahalgam attack

Opposition leaders from both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha have jointly asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to hold a special Parliament session in the wake of the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam which killed 26 people.

Congress President and Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, appealed to the Prime Minister in a letter Monday evening, stating, “At this moment, when unity and solidarity is essential, 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. It is our fond hope that the session will be accordingly convened,” Kharge wrote.

In a separate communication, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, echoed the same demand. “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,” he wrote in the letter.

“We request that such a special session be convened at the earliest,” Rahul Gandhi said.

The demand follows an all-party meeting held by the government on April 24, where Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Home Minister Amit Shah briefed political leaders on the incident, alongside officials from the Intelligence Bureau and the Ministry of Home Affairs.

At the meeting, Rajnath Singh assured leaders that the government was “committed” to taking “strong actions” in response to the attack. Despite raising concerns over the security lapse, opposition leaders expressed solidarity with the government’s stance, calling for a unified response to one of the deadliest terror incidents on civilians in recent years.

However, the absence of PM Modi from the meeting drew sharp criticism from Kharge. At a rally in Rajasthan, he said, “Modi prioritised Bihar election rally over the country. At least you should have come to the (all-party) meeting when we had offered complete support to whatever action the government wanted to take.”

Pahalgam terror attack

On April 22, terrorists opened fire on tourists at Baisaran meadow in Pahalgam, Anantnag district, killing 26 and injuring several. In retaliation, India took several steps against Pakistan, including suspending the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty, downgrading diplomatic ties, and shutting the Attari land crossing. The government also revoked visa exemptions under the SAARC scheme, cancelled existing Pakistani visas, and ordered Pakistani nationals to leave within 48 hours.

Access to Pakistan’s official X handle was blocked in India. On April 28, the Centre further restricted digital access by blocking over 16 Pakistani YouTube channels, including Dawn News and Geo News.