New Delhi: Leaders of 24 allies of the INDIA bloc held a virtual meeting on Saturday night to frame a common agenda against the Modi government and finalise floor coordination for the monsoon session of Parliament starting Monday.
While the meeting was still underway at ET press time, Opposition leaders said the bloc's MPs will jointly raise issues including the Pahalgam killings, former US President Donald Trump's claims of brokering a ceasefire during Operation Sindoor, the style of functioning of the Election Commission and its special intensive revision (SIR) in Bihar, its possible extension to other states, as well as details of India-US trade negotiations.
The bloc's floor leaders will formally present their demands at the government-convened all-party meeting on Sunday to discuss session issues.
Briefing the media during the meeting, Congress MP Pramod Tewari said, "The leaders are discussing issues concerning the nation. We want eight key issues to be taken up for discussion in Parliament. They include the Pahalgam killings and how the terrorists responsible are still at large, and Operation Sindoor, especially the ceasefire announcement, with President Trump claiming at least 24 times that he brokered the ceasefire between India and Pakistan, while Modi ji remains silent. We also want the PM to make statements in the House on both Pahalgam and Operation Sindoor after discussions. Then there is the issue of SIR-the way EC is removing voters at its behest."
Opposition leaders are also questioning Trump's recent claim that five fighter jets were shot down during Operation Sindoor, though he did not give details. "Modi ji, what is the truth about the five planes? The country has the right to know!" Rahul Gandhi posted on social media as the Congress demanded the PM clarify the matter.
While organisational leaders of many parties attended the meeting, TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav and DMK chief M K Stalin deputed their representatives. Among those present were Congress' Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia and Rahul Gandhi, KC Venugopal, NCP (SCP) leader Sharad Pawar, SS (UBT)'s Uddhav Thackeray and Sanjay Raut, TMC's Abhishek Banerjee, RJD's Tejashwi Yadav, SP's Ram Gopal Yadav, JMM chief Hemant Soren, DMK's Tiruchi Siva, NC's Omar Abdullah, Left leaders MA Baby, D Raja, Dipankar Bhattacharya and RSP's NK Premachandran. The AAP had already publicised its realignment away from the bloc.
"Hopefully, this meeting could also lead to the resumption of daily floor leaders' meetings during the session," an Opposition leader said earlier in the day. This was the first meeting of the INDIA bloc's organisational leaders since the formation of the third Modi government.
While the meeting was still underway at ET press time, Opposition leaders said the bloc's MPs will jointly raise issues including the Pahalgam killings, former US President Donald Trump's claims of brokering a ceasefire during Operation Sindoor, the style of functioning of the Election Commission and its special intensive revision (SIR) in Bihar, its possible extension to other states, as well as details of India-US trade negotiations.
The bloc's floor leaders will formally present their demands at the government-convened all-party meeting on Sunday to discuss session issues.
Briefing the media during the meeting, Congress MP Pramod Tewari said, "The leaders are discussing issues concerning the nation. We want eight key issues to be taken up for discussion in Parliament. They include the Pahalgam killings and how the terrorists responsible are still at large, and Operation Sindoor, especially the ceasefire announcement, with President Trump claiming at least 24 times that he brokered the ceasefire between India and Pakistan, while Modi ji remains silent. We also want the PM to make statements in the House on both Pahalgam and Operation Sindoor after discussions. Then there is the issue of SIR-the way EC is removing voters at its behest."
Opposition leaders are also questioning Trump's recent claim that five fighter jets were shot down during Operation Sindoor, though he did not give details. "Modi ji, what is the truth about the five planes? The country has the right to know!" Rahul Gandhi posted on social media as the Congress demanded the PM clarify the matter.
While organisational leaders of many parties attended the meeting, TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav and DMK chief M K Stalin deputed their representatives. Among those present were Congress' Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia and Rahul Gandhi, KC Venugopal, NCP (SCP) leader Sharad Pawar, SS (UBT)'s Uddhav Thackeray and Sanjay Raut, TMC's Abhishek Banerjee, RJD's Tejashwi Yadav, SP's Ram Gopal Yadav, JMM chief Hemant Soren, DMK's Tiruchi Siva, NC's Omar Abdullah, Left leaders MA Baby, D Raja, Dipankar Bhattacharya and RSP's NK Premachandran. The AAP had already publicised its realignment away from the bloc.
"Hopefully, this meeting could also lead to the resumption of daily floor leaders' meetings during the session," an Opposition leader said earlier in the day. This was the first meeting of the INDIA bloc's organisational leaders since the formation of the third Modi government.
