Parliament Set For Fiery Debate On Operation Sindoor, Trump’s Ceasefire Claims After First Week Washout
Parliament will hold a special discussion on "Operation Sindoor," India's response to the Pahalgam terror attack. The debate will likely involve key ministers and address opposition concerns regarding US mediation claims in the ceasefire with Pakistan
Lok Sabha will have a special discussion on Monday on India's ‘Operation Sindoor’ that was carried out in response to the terror attack in Pahalgam, after a weeklong virtual washout of the Parliament proceedings. According to news agency PTI, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah, and External Affairs S Jaishankar are likely to participate in the 16-hour debate that is expected to stretch over three days as an aggressive opposition would seek to corner the government over US President Donald Trump's claims that he mediated to avert a nuclear war between India and Pakistan and got them to agree on a ceasefire.
India has made clear its stance that the cessation of firing and military activity targeted at Pakistan was paused after direct contact between the directors general of military operations (DGMOs) of both nations, at the instance of Islamabad. A special discussion on India’s strong, successful, and decisive 'Operation Sindoor' in response to the terror attack in Pahalgam in its agenda has been listed by the Lok Sabha Secretariat.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also expected to intervene in the discussion.
In the past, the special discussions have been held occasionally on topics like the Constitution to mark the 75th year of its adoption and are not guided by any particular rule of the House. The Rajya Sabha, or the Upper House of the Parliament, will take up the debate on Operation Sindoor on Tuesday. Members of Parliament, who were part of the multi-party delegations that took India's message of zero tolerance to terrorism to 33 world capitals, are also expected to participate in the discussion in both Houses of Parliament.
Congress Issues Whip To LS MPs
The Congress Party has issued a three-line whip to its Lok Sabha MPs to remain present in Parliament for the next three days.
The First Week Of Parliament’s Monsoon Session
Parliament’s first week witnessed rapid developments one after another, with the biggest being the resignation of Jagdeep Dhankhar as vice president, hours after he had kicked off a row by referring in the Rajya Sabha to an opposition-sponsored notice on the impeachment of Justice Yashwant Varma. The opposition made a strong demand for the discussion on Operation Sindoor on the first day of the Monsoon session, which was accepted by the government. However, the opposition stalled the proceedings of both the Houses of Parliament over the issue of special intensive revision of electoral rolls in Bihar, contending that the exercise was aimed at disenfranchising genuine voters by demanding proof of citizenship.
The government has not yet agreed to hold a discussion in the Parliament on the special intensive revision of electoral rolls in Bihar and the rest of the country, with Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju saying that a call on this issue could be taken gradually.
Opposition, meanwhile, has alleged that the revision of the electoral rolls is aimed at helping the BJP-led alliance, which is in power in poll-bound Bihar.
A Look At Operation Sindoor
Terrorists linked to Pakistan had shot down 26 civilians, mostly tourists, in the popular hill station of Pahalgam on April 22, and India retaliated by targeting terror sites in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and Pakistan under Operation Sindoor, leading to a four-day conflict between the two countries. India said the decision to stop military action was agreed mutually between the two countries, but the mediation claims of Trump, who broke on social media the news of a ceasefire, have given the Opposition a handle to target the government.
(With inputs from PTI.)
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