Centre calls for all-party meeting ahead of special session of Parliament

Former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi took a different approach by writing a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, highlighting that the special session had been convened without any prior consultation with other political parties.

In preparation for the upcoming special session of Parliament, the government has convened an all-party meeting scheduled for Monday. This gathering precedes the special session, as announced by Union Minister Pralhad Joshi earlier this month.

The primary focus of the all-party meeting is expected to revolve around the agenda for the special session. Sources have revealed that the special session will commence in the historic Parliament building before transitioning to the newly constructed facility on September 19.

The announcement of the special session drew sharp criticism from opposition leaders, primarily due to its lack of clarity regarding the agenda. Many opposition figures also expressed their disapproval of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party's decision to schedule the session during Ganesh Chaturthi, considered one of India's most significant festivals.

Shiv Sena UBT's Priyanka Chaturvedi voiced her concerns, stating, "This special session called during India's most important festival of Ganesh Chaturthi is unfortunate and goes against Hindu sentiments. Surprised at the choice of dates." Similarly, the Nationalist Congress Party's (NCP) Supriya Sule called for the session to be rescheduled.

Former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi took a different approach by writing a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, highlighting that the special session had been convened without any prior consultation with other political parties.

She emphasized that there was no clarity on the session's agenda, and the only information provided was that all five days were allocated for "government business."

Sonia Gandhi urged PM Modi to initiate discussions on critical topics such as the center-state relationship, the rise of communalism, and the longstanding border conflict with China, which had escalated recently due to Beijing's new map.