Kharge renews special Parliament session demand after Rijiju's India Today interview

Hours after Kiren Rijiju hinted at the possibility of a special Parliament session in an exclusive interview with India Today, Mallikarjun Kharge, in a fresh letter to PM Modi, reiterated his demand for an all-party meeting on the government's proposed delimitation exercise.Kiren Rijiju, in an exclusive interview with India Today on Wednesday night, indicated that another sitting of Parliament could be possible. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, reiterating his demand for an all-party meeting on the government’s proposed delimitation exercise and adequate time for political parties and state governments to examine the proposals, a day after Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju hinted at the possibility of another sitting of Parliament.Kharge’s letter, which followed his earlier communication to PM Modi on July 16, came after Kiren Rijiju, in an exclusive interview with India Today Managing Editor Preeti Choudhry aired on Wednesday night, indicated that another sitting of Parliament could be possible without directly confirming whether the government was considering a special session.In his latest letter, Kharge said he was reiterating his earlier request after the Parliamentary Affairs Minister “publicly stated in a television interview last night that such a special session of Parliament could well be convened”. He also linked the possibility to the continued delay in formally proroguing the Monsoon Session.“I had last written to you on July 16, 2026 requesting you to convene an All-Party meeting for discussing the Government’s proposals for delimitation. I had also requested you to give all political parties adequate time to study such proposals in detail before they are introduced in any special session of Parliament that you may be contemplating,” Kharge said in the letter. I have written to the PM Modi on delimitation, the delay in prorogation of the Monsoon Session of Parliament, and the likely special session mentioned by the Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs in a television interview last evening.Sharing the letter — pic.twitter.com/UCFN5LI4WY— Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) August 27, 2026 Kharge urged PM Modi to convene an all-party meeting to discuss the delimitation proposals and give political parties and state governments adequate time to study them. “This is an issue that has enormous significance for the country. Please do not again try and bulldoze as you attempted on April 16 and 17, 2026,” he said.Rijiju, during his interview, was asked whether the government could call another sitting or a special session of Parliament. While he declined to give a direct answer, he pointed to parliamentary precedents that could allow the House to meet again. “It is up to the government. Whenever Parliament is to be called, it is the government which decides and requests the President to call the session. When the House is not prorogued, then the session can be called,” Rijiju said.Asked if this meant a special session could be on the cards, Rijiju replied, “No, that I will not answer.” When Choudhry suggested that his remarks could be interpreted as leaving open the possibility of another sitting, he said, “You can read both ways.”“As a Parliamentary Affairs Minister, I am always open to people’s scrutiny and observation also, and then when the time comes...” Rijiju said, without elaborating.Asked specifically whether there could be another Parliament session, Rijiju said, “It is nothing new which we are doing.” He cited parliamentary history, saying there had been “numerous occasions” since 1952 when Parliament was adjourned sine die but not prorogued, following which the session was summoned again.The remarks came amid speculation over the government’s next move after the Monsoon Session of Parliament was adjourned sine die on August 13 without being formally prorogued.The delay has prompted questions from the Opposition over whether the government could use the existing session to bring back legislation related to delimitation and women’s reservation.The Delimitation Bill, introduced along with the Women’s Reservation Bill under the 131st Constitutional Amendment, failed to secure the required two-thirds majority in the Lok Sabha during the three-day special session in April.Rijiju, however, stopped short of confirming any government plan for another sitting or a special session, maintaining that the decision to summon Parliament rests with the government.Additionally, Kharge, in his letter, also added that the Congress was “very clear” on three points: retaining the Lok Sabha’s existing strength of 543 seats for another 25 years, maintaining the current state-wise allocation of seats for the same period, and implementing one-third reservation for women from the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.- EndsPublished By: Shipra ParasharPublished On: Aug 27, 2026 16:31 IST