Leaders from the Congress, Rashtriya Janata Dal and Communist Party of India on Monday demanded that a special session of Parliament be convened to discuss the Pahalgam terror attack.

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said that a special session would be a “powerful demonstration of our collective resolve and willpower” to deal with the attack, which left 26 persons dead on April 22.

Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said that the attack had “outraged every Indian” and that at a special parliamentary session, representatives of the people could “show their unity and determination”.

“At this critical time, India must show that we will always stand against terrorism,” Gandhi added.

Rashtriya Janata Dal Rajya Sabha member Manoj Kumar Jha, in a letter to Modi, sought an “open and principled discussion” on the attack and its broader security implications, PTI reported.

“In moments of such profound national pain, it is within the Parliament that the anxieties, hopes and resolve of the people must find their fullest voice,” Jha wrote.

Communist Party of India MP Sandosh Kumar P wrote to Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, calling for Parliament to “rise above political divides to embody the spirit and aspirations of the people”.

Kumar said such a session would allow leaders “to mourn the loss, to express the will of the nation and to send a clear and strong message that India remains united, resilient and resolute against those who seek to harm us through acts of terror”.

The terror attack at Baisaran near the town of Pahalgam on April 22 left 26 persons dead and 17 injured. The terrorists targeted tourists after asking their names to ascertain their religion, the police said. All but three of those killed were Hindu.

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