PTI
New Delhi, April 24: The Congress party on Thursday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to personally preside over the all-party meeting scheduled for this evening in response to the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. The party stressed the importance of fostering national unity and ensuring political consensus in the face of such a grave security crisis.
Congress general secretary in charge of communications, Jairam Ramesh, noted that the party had called for an all-party meeting on the night of April 22 itself, following the deadly assault that left at least 26 people dead—many of them tourists.
“In light of the severity of the situation and the prevailing public sentiment, the Indian National Congress expects the Prime Minister to take the lead at today’s 6 PM all-party meeting. It is essential that he engage all political parties and help forge a united stance,” Ramesh said in a statement.
The meeting will serve as a platform for the central government to brief political leaders on the latest developments surrounding the attack and to seek their input on the path forward.
According to official sources, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will chair the meeting, with Home Minister Amit Shah and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar also expected to address attendees. The government has announced a series of retaliatory measures aimed at Pakistan in the aftermath of the attack.
The decision to convene the high-level meeting was made on Wednesday, following outreach efforts by senior ministers to opposition leaders. The move aligns with past precedents, such as the all-party meetings held after the Pulwama attack in 2019 and the India-China border standoff in 2020.
