The Indian National Congress has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to convene a special parliamentary session in response to the April 22 terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, which left 26 civilians dead.
In a letter to the Prime Minister on Monday, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge emphasized the need for unity and collective resolve in the wake of the tragedy. He proposed that the special session of both Houses of Parliament serve as a platform to express a joint national stance against terrorism.
“At this moment, when unity and solidarity are essential, the Opposition believes 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 to deal with the brutal terror attack in Pahalgam,” Kharge wrote.
The call for a special session comes amid heightened political attention on national security, as the nation mourns the victims of one of the deadliest attacks since the Pulwama strike in 2019, which killed 40 CRPF personnel.
Earlier on Monday, the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly held a special session to condemn the Pahalgam attack. A resolution, moved by Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary, was unanimously adopted, expressing strong disapproval of the attack and solidarity with the victims’ families. The resolution also endorsed diplomatic measures announced by the Union Government following a Cabinet Committee on Security meeting.
Meanwhile, J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah clarified that he would not link the tragic loss of lives to demands for the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood. “My politics is not so cheap,” Abdullah said, although he reiterated his ongoing commitment to seeking statehood at a more appropriate time.
Following the Pahalgam attack, India has announced strict measures against Pakistan, citing Islamabad’s continued support for cross-border terrorism.
