Congress demands Modi, not Rajnath Singh, chair all-party meet on Pahalgam terror attack

The demand came as the government informed parties that Defence Minister Rajnath Singh would chair the meeting in which Home Minister Amit Shah will also attend.

New Delhi: Hours ahead of the all-party meeting on the Pahalgam terror attack, Congress on Thursday demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should chair the deliberations and take all parties into confidence to build a collective resolve.

The demand came as the government informed parties that Defence Minister Rajnath Singh would chair the meeting, which Home Minister Amit Shah will also attend.

Congress General Secretary (Communications) Jairam Ramesh posted on 'X', "considering the extreme seriousness of the issue and the mood of the nation, the Indian National Congress expects the PM to chair the All-Party meeting scheduled for 6PM today and take all political parties into confidence and build a collective resolve."

He said on April 22 itself, the Congress had asked for an all-party meeting to discuss the fallout of the brutal Pahalgam terror attack and the targeted killings of so many tourists. The post on ‘X’ came just before a meeting of the Congress Working Committee to discuss the Pahalgam terror attack.

Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday sidestepped questions on whether there was an intelligence failure at a press conference, saying such questions could be raised later at a meeting of leaders and at present, the issue is to send a united and strong message against terror.

Soon after the terror attack on Tuesday, the Opposition asked the government to take responsibility rather than making “hollow claims” of normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir and the CPI(M) claiming that the strike exposed the “hollow rhetoric of Modi-Shah” while unequivocally condemning the “dastardly” terror attack on tourists that claimed 26 lives and leaving several injured.