Top leaders of the INDIA bloc held a virtual meeting to plan their strategy for the upcoming monsoon session of Parliament. Although the meeting was supposed to reflect strength and unity, it revealed inner disagreements and growing coordination issues. Out of 25 parties, 24 participated Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) was notably absent. The leaders spoke on topics like national security, ideology clashes, and future elections.
D Raja, leader of the Communist Party of India (CPI), expressed his disapproval over Rahul Gandhi's recent statement comparing the Left's ideology in Kerala with that of the RSS. As reported by NDTV, Raja made it clear that "criticism among allies must not cross certain lines", especially within a coalition framework.
Several senior leaders, including Uddhav Thackeray, Sharad Pawar, and Ram Gopal Yadav, stressed the need for frequent meetings. They believe irregular communication is weakening their planning and unity. The group may meet again in early August to improve coordination.
Omar Abdullah from the National Conference requested the bloc to raise the demand for full statehood for Jammu and Kashmir in Parliament. His proposal received strong support from many members.
The alliance agreed to bring up the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam during the Parliament session. They plan to question the BJP-led government, calling the attack a major failure of internal security.
Dipankar Bhattacharya urged the bloc to discuss the central government’s approach to anti-Maoist operations. He also mentioned the Maoists’ recent ceasefire offer and called for a broader debate on how the conflict is being addressed.
Abhishek Banerjee from Trinamool Congress (TMC) criticized the government for extending the tenure of the Intelligence Bureau chief despite the Pahalgam security lapse. He claimed Pegasus spyware is being used to spy on Opposition leaders. He also warned that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise might be a secret attempt to reintroduce the NRC, saying it was a backdoor strategy.
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The Aam Aadmi Party did not join the meeting. This raised doubts about its commitment to the alliance and signaled a possible rift in the bloc’s strategy and vision.
Congress leader Pramod Tiwari raised an international concern. He said the group is worried about former US President Donald Trump’s claim that he helped mediate a ceasefire between India and Pakistan 24 times, while “PM Modi has remained silent.”
According to Tiwari, “there was complete consensus” in the group that national security is being “compromised” under the BJP regime. The bloc felt the issue needed to be highlighted in Parliament.
The bloc strongly opposed the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) activity happening in Bihar. Leaders said it appears to be a hidden attempt to remove certain voters from the list. They described the situation as similar to an “undeclared Emergency.”
