Congress rallies Opposition to demand special parliament session on Pahalgam attack

In the aftermath of the devastating terrorist attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 people —mostly tourists — the Congress party is reaching out to other Opposition parties to demand a special session of Parliament to discuss the tragedy and the government’s response, highly placed sources said on April 27.

The move comes amid mounting pressure on the Union Government, even as Opposition leaders continue to extend bipartisan support for action against terrorism.

A letter, currently being drafted by Congress leaders, is expected to be finalized and sent either by Sunday evening or Monday, sources said.

The attack, which struck one of Jammu and Kashmir’s most beloved tourist destinations on Tuesday, has left the nation in shock and mourning.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, speaking on April 24, vowed swift retribution, declaring that India would "identify, track, and punish every terrorist and their backers," promising to "pursue them to the ends of the earth."

Yet even as the country projects unity, serious questions have emerged about the security and intelligence failures that allowed the attack to happen. At an all-party meeting convened by Defense Minister Rajnath Singh last week, top Opposition figures — including Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, TMC’s Sudip Bandyopadhyay, and AAP’s Sanjay Singh—pressed the government on the "glaring lapses" exposed by the attack.

Significantly, sources reveal that the government conceded shortcomings during the closed-door discussions. “If nothing had gone wrong, why would we be sitting here? There have been lapses somewhere that we have to find and fix,” a senior government leader admitted.

The demand for a special Parliament session was first raised at that very meeting by IUML Rajya Sabha MP Haris Beeran.

According to Opposition leaders, such a session would serve a dual purpose: to demonstrate national unity against terrorism and to ensure accountability through open, transparent discussion.

As the Opposition mobilizes, the pressure is now on the Centre—not only to retaliate forcefully against those responsible but also to answer tough questions about how such a devastating security failure occurred.