Saurabh Mukherjee
In a unified move, leaders from 16 opposition parties have written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, demanding a special session of Parliament to discuss India’s Operation Sindoor against Pakistan.
The demand follows a meeting of INDIA bloc leaders in the national capital on Tuesday (June 3) and underscores growing calls for parliamentary accountability in the wake of heightened regional tensions.
The joint letter marks the fourth such communication to the prime minister from the opposition, with earlier letters sent by Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge in their capacities as Leaders of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, respectively.
Congress sources said Rahul Gandhi pushed for a coordinated move, reaching out to leaders such as Akhilesh Yadav, Abhishek Banerjee, and Aditya Thackeray, while other senior figures including K.C. Venugopal, Gaurav Gogoi, K. Suresh, and Manickam Tagore helped secure support from across the opposition spectrum.
Parties backing the demand include the Congress, Samajwadi Party (SP), Trinamool Congress (TMC), Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), Shiv Sena (UBT), Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), National Conference (NC), Communist Party of India (Marxist), Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), Communist Party of India (CPI), Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP), Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), Kerala Congress, Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK), and CPI (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation.
Senior leaders including Jairam Ramesh and Deependra Hooda (Congress), Derek O’Brien (TMC), Ram Gopal Yadav (SP), Manoj Jha (RJD), and Sanjay Raut (Shiv Sena-UBT) participated in Tuesday’s meeting. Although the DMK was unable to attend due to the birth anniversary of party founder M. Karunanidhi, it has signed the letter.
While the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) did not participate in the meeting, it announced plans to send its own letter to the prime minister. The Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction), however, has not joined the call for a special session.
Derek O’Brien told reporters that the letter calls for a discussion on recent incidents in Poonch, Uri, and Rajouri.
“Sixteen parties have written a letter to the Prime Minister demanding a special session of Parliament... The letter talks about Poonch, Uri, Rajouri, and having a free discussion in Parliament. The government is responsible to Parliament; Parliament is responsible to the people. That's why we are demanding a special session of Parliament… The AAP will be writing directly to the PM tomorrow,” he said.
RJD MP Manoj Jha emphasized the urgency of parliamentary debate following former US President Donald Trump’s repeated claims that his administration mediated a de-escalation between India and Pakistan.
“Trump has made 13 statements in 15 days. This has hurt India as a community and as a nation. Who will give the message? Parliament. If Parliament is called for this, we will speak in one language,” he said.
Jha also referred to Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan’s recent interview with Bloomberg, where Chauhan confirmed that India had suffered losses during the conflict.
“I am not asking how many. I am asking where we will discuss it. This is a matter of accountability, not politics,” Jha said.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut echoed the sentiment, questioning the government’s silence.
“If a ceasefire was called on Trump’s suggestion, why can’t we get a special session even after repeated demands? Should we write to Trump instead of our own PM?” he asked.
Opposition leaders also noted that the signatories of the letter are not merely the parliamentary party leaders who usually handle floor coordination, but the heads of the political parties themselves—highlighting the seriousness of the demand.
Calls for a special session have been growing since the Pahalgam terror attack. The demand was also raised during an all-party meeting held to brief lawmakers on Operation Sindoor.
The Trinamool Congress has proposed that the session be held in June, once the Indian delegations currently visiting various countries to present New Delhi’s stance on terrorism return home.
The demand follows a meeting of INDIA bloc leaders in the national capital on Tuesday (June 3) and underscores growing calls for parliamentary accountability in the wake of heightened regional tensions.
The joint letter marks the fourth such communication to the prime minister from the opposition, with earlier letters sent by Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge in their capacities as Leaders of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, respectively.
Congress sources said Rahul Gandhi pushed for a coordinated move, reaching out to leaders such as Akhilesh Yadav, Abhishek Banerjee, and Aditya Thackeray, while other senior figures including K.C. Venugopal, Gaurav Gogoi, K. Suresh, and Manickam Tagore helped secure support from across the opposition spectrum.
Parties backing the demand include the Congress, Samajwadi Party (SP), Trinamool Congress (TMC), Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), Shiv Sena (UBT), Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), National Conference (NC), Communist Party of India (Marxist), Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), Communist Party of India (CPI), Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP), Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), Kerala Congress, Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK), and CPI (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation.
Senior leaders including Jairam Ramesh and Deependra Hooda (Congress), Derek O’Brien (TMC), Ram Gopal Yadav (SP), Manoj Jha (RJD), and Sanjay Raut (Shiv Sena-UBT) participated in Tuesday’s meeting. Although the DMK was unable to attend due to the birth anniversary of party founder M. Karunanidhi, it has signed the letter.
While the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) did not participate in the meeting, it announced plans to send its own letter to the prime minister. The Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction), however, has not joined the call for a special session.
Derek O’Brien told reporters that the letter calls for a discussion on recent incidents in Poonch, Uri, and Rajouri.
“Sixteen parties have written a letter to the Prime Minister demanding a special session of Parliament... The letter talks about Poonch, Uri, Rajouri, and having a free discussion in Parliament. The government is responsible to Parliament; Parliament is responsible to the people. That's why we are demanding a special session of Parliament… The AAP will be writing directly to the PM tomorrow,” he said.
RJD MP Manoj Jha emphasized the urgency of parliamentary debate following former US President Donald Trump’s repeated claims that his administration mediated a de-escalation between India and Pakistan.
“Trump has made 13 statements in 15 days. This has hurt India as a community and as a nation. Who will give the message? Parliament. If Parliament is called for this, we will speak in one language,” he said.
Jha also referred to Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan’s recent interview with Bloomberg, where Chauhan confirmed that India had suffered losses during the conflict.
“I am not asking how many. I am asking where we will discuss it. This is a matter of accountability, not politics,” Jha said.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut echoed the sentiment, questioning the government’s silence.
“If a ceasefire was called on Trump’s suggestion, why can’t we get a special session even after repeated demands? Should we write to Trump instead of our own PM?” he asked.
Opposition leaders also noted that the signatories of the letter are not merely the parliamentary party leaders who usually handle floor coordination, but the heads of the political parties themselves—highlighting the seriousness of the demand.
Calls for a special session have been growing since the Pahalgam terror attack. The demand was also raised during an all-party meeting held to brief lawmakers on Operation Sindoor.
The Trinamool Congress has proposed that the session be held in June, once the Indian delegations currently visiting various countries to present New Delhi’s stance on terrorism return home.
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