Opposition Parties Demand Special Parliament Session on Recent Military Operations

Call for Parliamentary Session

On Tuesday, leaders from 16 opposition parties sent a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to convene a special session of Parliament to discuss Operation Sindoor and its consequences.

Representatives from various parties, including Congress, Trinamool Congress, Rashtriya Janata Dal, Samajwadi Party, and Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), gathered earlier to deliberate on this issue.

Trinamool Congress MP Derek O’Brien stated to the press, “The government must answer to Parliament, and Parliament must answer to the public. This is why we are insisting on a special session.”

Congress leader Deepender Singh Hooda emphasized that the session should cover topics ranging from the Pahalgam terror attack to Operation Sindoor, as well as the recent ceasefire announcement between India and Pakistan on May 10.

The letter highlighted pressing national concerns regarding the terror attack, civilian casualties in Poonch, Uri, and Rajouri, and the implications of the ceasefire on national security and foreign policy.

Although the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) did not sign the letter, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut remarked that Sharad Pawar supports their cause. He mentioned that he would discuss the matter with Pawar upon returning to Mumbai.

O’Brien also noted that the Aam Aadmi Party plans to send a separate letter to the Prime Minister with a similar request on Wednesday.

Recent Pakistani shelling has resulted in the deaths of at least 22 Indian civilians and eight defense personnel in border regions.

Escalating tensions between New Delhi and Islamabad began on May 7 when the Indian military executed strikes, dubbed Operation Sindoor, targeting what it claimed were terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

These strikes were a response to a terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which claimed 26 lives on April 22.

In retaliation, the Pakistan Army has been shelling Indian villages along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir, leading to significant casualties.

On May 10, India and Pakistan reached an agreement to cease hostilities after four days of conflict, with the announcement made shortly after a statement from Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri.