The demand for the Special Session of Parliament by the Opposition parties grew stronger when the latter presumed that the Government is mulling over a Special Session to mark the anniversary of the imposition of Emergency.
Last year the Narendra Modi Government had announced that June 25, when the Emergency was imposed by then prime minister Indira Gandhi in 1975, will be observed as Samvidhan Hatya Divas every year.
On learning development for Samvidhan Hatya Divas, the Opposition on Tuesday reiterated their demand for the Special Session to discuss and debate the pre and post Operation Sindoor. At least leaders of 16 political parties including Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi under the banner of INDIA bloc wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi over their demand.
Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal however accused the Opposition of misleading people on holding a special session of Parliament to mark the 50th anniversary of Emergency, saying they do not want to discuss the period when the Constitution was twisted. “It is not a subject of Parliament session. On the 50th anniversary of the imposition of Emergency, people should know who broke and twisted the Constitution,” Meghwal said indicating that there could be Special Session to discuss on the Emergency era. “It is not a subject of Parliament session. People will come to know the occasion as reams of articles will be written, people from various walks of life shall speak,” Meghwal, who also holds the charge of MoS Parliamentary Affairs, said.
Senior Opposition leaders held a meeting in this regard, where points like Pahalgam attack, Operation Sindoor, controversy arisen by US President Donald Trump’s claim of brokering a ceasefire between India and Pakistan were discussed which needs to be debated in the Parliament.
“How an amendment was brought to overturn an Allahabad High Court ruling against former prime minister Indira Gandhi and the way the Constitution was twisted to remain in power has to be told to the people,” the law minister said.
Congress chief spokesman Jairam Ramesh and Deepender Hooda, TMC’s Derek O’Brien, RJD’s Manoj Jha, Samajwadi Party’s Ramgopal Yadav, and Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Sanjay Raut attended the meeting. DMK could not join the meeting as it coincided with party’s patriarch late M Karunanidhi’s birth anniversary celebrations.
“16 parties have written a letter to the prime minister demanding a special session of Parliament. The Government is responsible to Parliament, Parliament is responsible to people,” O’Brien informed media after the meeting. Opposition leaders said the letter would be sent to the Prime Minister’s Office soon.
AAP however said it will write a separate letter to the PM raising the demand of a session to discuss the military actions against the enemy countrysby Indian Armed Forces. Sharad Pawar led NCP disassociated itself from the demand for a special session of Parliament as their Lok Sabha is currently a member of the several delegation of Parliamentarians visiting world wide to narrate Indian side to the international community. TMC has suggested that the session should be held in June, after the multi-party delegations that have travelled to different countries to convey India’s stand against terrorism return to the country.
The Opposition parties have been demanding a special session of Parliament ever since the Pahalgam terror attack in April. The demand was also raised in an all-party meeting chaired by Defence Minsiter Rajnath Singh to apprise on the Pahalgam terror attack and then followed by the success of Operation Sindoor.
Others signatories of the letter to PM are Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, SP leader Akhilesh Yadav, TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee, DMK’s TR Baalu, Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Arvind Savant, DMK, National Conference, all the Left Parties MDMK.
Operation Sindoor, India’s military response to the April 22 attack in Pahalgam in Kashmir that left 26 people, mostly tourists, dead. Indian armed forces destroyed terror camps deep inside Pakistan and PoK, and later bombed airbases of the neighbouring country under Operation Sindoor.