The Opposition’s INDIA bloc convened a virtual meeting on Saturday to chart its course for the upcoming monsoon session of Parliament, but what unfolded instead resembled a chorus of grievances, dissenting voices and unresolved friction within the alliance.
Leaders of 24 constituent parties joined the digital interaction, notably excluding the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), whose absence underlined emerging strains within the coalition ahead of a crucial parliamentary phase.
Senior Congress leader and Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Pramod Tiwari, briefed the media after the meeting. He said the bloc expressed strong concern over “compromised” national security under the BJP regime and reiterated its demand for discussions on India’s foreign policy amid shifting global dynamics.
“There was complete consensus about the concern over national security as it was being compromised in the BJP regime,” Tiwari said. He also highlighted the bloc’s unease with “repeated claims made by US President Donald Trump that he mediated the ceasefire between India and Pakistan.” He added, “Mr Trump has so far made the claims 24 times, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi has kept quiet and not responded.”
One of the more significant proposals came from Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who urged that the bloc push for full statehood for the Union Territory. The demand was met with agreement from the alliance, which also resolved to raise the recent Pahalgam terror attack in Parliament.
Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee launched a scathing attack on the government’s security apparatus and institutional integrity. “If the Pahalgam attack was an intelligence failure, then why did the Intelligence Bureau chief get an extension?” he asked. “Pegasus is being used against the Opposition, instead of terrorists. The government is trying to bring the NRC through SIR. E-squared [ED and EC] have become puppets of the government.”
Dipankar Bhattacharya added that the government’s anti-Maoist campaign and the Maoists’ offer of a ceasefire must be discussed on the floor of Parliament.
Also read: Ahead of Monsoon session, INDIA Bloc parties hold virtual meeting
The Left was also visibly aggrieved. Communist Party of India leader D Raja expressed dissatisfaction with a recent remark made by Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, who had reportedly drawn a parallel between the Left’s ideology in Kerala and that of the RSS. Without naming Gandhi, Raja said, “Senior leaders should be mindful of limits when criticising alliance partners.”
Veteran leaders, including Sharad Pawar, Uddhav Thackeray and Ram Gopal Yadav, demanded more regular coordination meetings, with sources indicating that the next INDIA bloc meeting is likely to be held in the first week of August.
The participants included Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav, and Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren.
Further concerns were voiced over what Tiwari described as an “undeclared Emergency” in Bihar, where voters’ names were allegedly removed from electoral rolls under the pretext of the new SIR identification framework.
Although the bloc showcased a united front on many issues, the undercurrents of ideological differences and a lack of cohesion suggest that opposition unity will continue to face internal challenges as the monsoon session approaches.
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