New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday, April 30, chaired high-level meetings of two of the most powerful Cabinet committees — the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) and the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA).
The back-to-back deliberations come in the wake of the deadly Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives, sparking major diplomatic and security recalibrations by the Centre.
What is the CCS?
The Cabinet Committee on Security is the apex body handling decisions related to national defence, internal security, and strategic affairs. Headed by the Prime Minister, it includes the Defence, Home, Finance, and External Affairs Ministers. Wednesday’s CCS meeting marked the second such discussion since the Pahalgam attack.
In its earlier meeting on April 23, the panel reportedly approved key measures such as suspending the Indus Waters Treaty, halting visas for Pakistani nationals, and sealing the Attari border crossing.
Significance of the CCPA Meeting
While the CCS meets regularly on security matters, the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs is convened less frequently and deals with politically sensitive issues. Wednesday's CCPA meeting is the first since the 2019 Pulwama attack, after which Pakistan’s Most Favoured Nation status was revoked, followed by airstrikes in Balakot. The CCPA currently includes PM Modi, Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, Nirmala Sitharaman, Nitin Gadkari, and Piyush Goyal.
This session is believed to have reviewed opposition demands, led by Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, for a special Parliament session to debate the Pahalgam killings. The government is also said to have weighed further diplomatic and military responses in the aftermath of the attack.
