New Delhi: The Centre is likely to a call this week on the demand of several Opposition parties, including the Congress, for a special session of Parliament over the Pahalgam terror attack. At the backdrop of series of high level meetings during the last week between the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, his top cabinet colleagues including Rajnath Singh, the NSA Ajit Doval, top army brass and the Chief of Defence Staff, sources in the government said the Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs (CCPA) would take a call on convening the session during the next couple of days as a meeting is being scheduled.
As tension simmers between the two countries IAF chief A P Singh on Sunday met the PM and reportedly briefed him about the current security situation in 40-minutes meeting. Modi has been meeting the chiefs of the three armed forces to take stock of India’s possible military action against Pakistan. Several opposition leaders, including Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge. Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi have written to Prime Minister seeking a session of Parliament to present a collective resolve following the April 22 terror strike which left 26 people, mostly tourists, killed.
Sources in Parliament said precedents are being researched as how many Special Sessions have taken place particularly to discuss immediate terror attacks. Some of the terror attacks or urgent issues took place when the Parliament was in session like the 1993 Mumbai blasts but no such demands were met for the IC-814 hijack, December 24, 1999 during the Atala Bihari Vajpyee tenure.
The later terror attack was the Parliament attack on December 13, 2001, when the Winter Session was underway. Similarly another dastardly terror act of Mumbai on November 26, 2008, the Parliament was already functioning during which the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh apologised to the citizens But demands of Special Session was made even during aftermath Pathankot Air Base attack on January 2, 2016 and the first discussion on the issue happened during the budget session which was the first tenure of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The attack on an Indian Army camp in Uri same year in September left 18 Indian soldiers dead and around 30 injured in the terror act whoever there was no such discussion in Parliament over the attack.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday said it is his responsibility to work with the armed forces and give a “befitting reply” to those who cast an evil eye on India. Addressing an event in Delhi, Singh said people know Prime Minister Narendra Modi very well and are quite familiar with his working style, his determination and the way he has learned to “take risks” in his life. “As the defence minister, it is my responsibility to work with my soldiers and ensure the protection of the country’s borders. And it is my responsibility to give a befitting reply, by working with the armed forces, to those who cast an evil eye on our country,” Singh said.
