The escalating crisis in West Asia appears to have brought the otherwise fragile opposition alliance, the INDIA Bloc, onto a common platform on several issues including the impending no-confidence motion against Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, ahead of the second phase of the Budget Session 2026, which resumes on Monday.
Sources said the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) has agreed to support the opposition’s no-confidence motion against the Lok Sabha Speaker.
The second half of the session is expected to witness heated exchanges in both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, with the united Opposition demanding a full-fledged discussion on the West Asia conflict and seeking to corner the government over its foreign policy.
Leaders of the opposition alliance have alleged that India’s global standing has “shrunken and diminished by playing second fiddle” to the United States and Israel, taking a unified stance against the handling of the crisis by the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government.
The criticism intensified after reports that a US submarine sank an Iranian frigate in the Indian Ocean. This development, along with the US decision to grant India a 30-day waiver to import Russian oil, prompted Jairam Ramesh of the Indian National Congress to sharpen his attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling the “permission” to India an insult to the country’s sovereignty.
Opposition parties are expected to meet ahead of Monday’s sitting to finalise a collective floor strategy. Several parties are demanding a discussion on the implications of the high-level conflict for India, arguing that it reflects a decline in the country’s global influence.
“Not just the West Asia issue, the INDIA bloc is united on a majority of issues in the second phase, including the no-confidence motion against Birla. After initially refusing to sign the notice in February, the TMC has shifted its stance in view of the current situation,” sources said.
While earlier concerns such as the proposed India-US trade deal and its possible impact on farmers remain on the agenda, the evolving geopolitical situation and India’s oil imports from Russia have led the Congress and other opposition parties to seek greater accountability from the government through a detailed parliamentary debate.
They argue that suo motu statements by the government are insufficient as they do not allow opposition leaders to raise questions or voice concerns.
Meanwhile, Akhilesh Yadav, chief of the Samajwadi Party, questioned the government’s silence over incidents in the Indian Ocean and urged it to clearly articulate India’s position while pushing for a diplomatic solution to prevent further global instability.
Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi also criticised the Prime Minister’s “moral cowardice and silence” over the assassination of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and raised concerns about the safety of nearly one crore Indians living in the region.
Left parties have condemned the alleged US-Israeli strikes on Iran as a “flagrant violation of international law” and criticised Prime Minister Modi’s February 2026 visit to Israel, calling it a departure from India’s traditional foreign policy stance on Palestine.
The Aam Aadmi Party has also expressed concern about the conflict spilling into South Asian waters, referring to the sinking of an Iranian vessel that had earlier visited Visakhapatnam.
The second phase of the Budget Session follows a highly disruptive first phase marked by protests over the India-US interim trade deal and other issues, including the suspension of eight opposition MPs in the Lok Sabha.
The session is scheduled to conclude on April 2.