‘Lack of Self-Assurance or Deliberate Obfuscation’: RJD MP in Letter to PM Demanding Special Parliament Session

New Delhi: Manoj Kumar Jha, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP in the Rajya Sabha, has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanding a special session of parliament to discuss Operation Sindoor, its implications and the path ahead – something opposition parties have been demanding even as the government has yet to heed to any such demand. Jha, in his letter, said that the Union government’s reluctance shows “lack of self-assurance in its own narrative or deliberate obfuscation”.

The RJD MP said that the Indian parliament has not discussed these operations, while citizens “know less about their own military operations than international observers.”

“European parliaments received briefings; American think tanks produced assessments; Indian legislators got next to nothing. This creates an information hierarchy where foreign audiences receive more transparency than Indian citizens,” he said.

Jha referred to US President Donald Trump’s continued claims that he had mediated the ceasefire between India and Pakistan that ended the four-day long military conflict on May 10, the use of Operation Sindoor as a tool for political campaigns and the need to develop a robust governance framework.

"First and foremost, the interference of foreign governments in our sovereign foreign policy affairs. In the past we have neither encouraged nor tolerated this. We must not create new exceptions now,” he said.

“Secondly, the implications of such conflicts for the country. Instead of ad hoc decision making we should formulate a robust governance framework. Thirdly, the challenges of reforming the domestic media and information ecosystem which not only undermined the brave efforts of India's defence forces but also fanned social division and unresr. Finally, the cynical, opportunistic, and wholly distasteful use of our defence forces in the political and election campaigns is an area of grave concern and amounts to politicisation of our defence forces.”

While seven teams of Indian parliamentarians including opposition members are abroad as a part of the government's diplomatic outreach following Operation Sindoor and the military conflict with Pakistan, Jha said that the "government's defensive international posture combined with domestic opacity suggests uncertainty about its own narrative."

"If the operations succeeded, given our defence forces commitment and competence, why should there be any reluctance to explain to the Parliament? The global parliamentary outreach mission indicates India believes it failed to convince international opinion," he wrote.

Jha said that the government owes the nation a detailed briefing. “The government owes the nation a detailed briefing followed by a discussion on operational objectives, strategic outcomes and future doctrine. Parliament exists for such national importance matters. The government's reluctance to convene a special session suggests either lack of self-assurance in its own narrative or deliberate obfuscation. Neither serves national interests,” he said.

This is Jha’s second letter to the prime minister following the Pahalgam terror attack. In April, Jha and three other MPs, including leaders of opposition in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, had written to Modi separately demanding a special session. 

On Sunday, Kharge once again demanded a special session of parliament after General Anil Chauhan, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), became the first Indian official to confirm that the Indian Air Force lost some fighter jets in clashes with Pakistan on May 7. 

Referring to Chauhan's remarks made in an interview to Bloomberg TV in Singapore, Kharge said that there are important questions that can only be asked if a special session is convened.

He said that the Congress party demands a "Comprehensive Review of our Defence Preparedness by an independent expert committee, on the lines of the Kargil Review Committee". He demanded to know, in light of Trump's statements, whether India and Pakistan are once again hyphenated.

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