New Delhi: After a week of disruption, Parliament’s Monsoon Session is set to shift gears as both the ruling NDA and the Opposition prepare for a high-voltage debate on the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor, starting Monday.
The issues are expected to trigger intense exchanges in both Houses. According to sources, Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will lead the charge for the treasury benches. There are also indications that PM Narendra Modi may intervene in the discussion to underscore the government’s “robust” stance against terrorism.
On the Opposition side, Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha respectively, are likely to spearhead the attack. Samajwadi Party's Akhilesh Yadav, along with a host of Opposition MPs, are also expected to participate actively. The upcoming debate follows a week-long washout of parliamentary proceedings, largely due to Opposition protests over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar and other contentious issues.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju announced on July 25 that both sides had agreed to begin discussions on the Pahalgam attack in the Lok Sabha on Monday and in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday. A marathon 16-hour debate has been scheduled in each House — though such debates often stretch even longer. The BJP-led NDA plans to deploy a wide array of ministers and key leaders including Anurag Thakur, Sudhanshu Trivedi, and Nishikant Dubey. Also expected to speak are members of the seven multi-party delegations that visited over 30 world capitals to present India’s position post-Operation Sindoor.
These include Shrikant Shinde (Shiv Sena), Sanjay Jha (JD-U), and Harish Balayogi (TDP), among others. One of the more intriguing questions is whether Congress MP Shashi Tharoor will be among the speakers. Tharoor, who led the delegation to the US, has reportedly strained relations with his party due to his vocal support of the government's response after the terror attack.
The Opposition has framed its criticism around alleged intelligence lapses preceding the Pahalgam attack — which left 26 civilians dead — and around US President Donald Trump’s repeated claim of mediating a ceasefire between India and Pakistan. Rahul Gandhi has repeatedly questioned the government's foreign policy, claiming that India failed to gain international backing for Operation Sindoor, while also citing Trump’s repeated mediation offers to target the ruling alliance.
The government, for its part, has firmly rejected Trump's claims. The BJP and its allies have countered by projecting a strong and assertive image of India under Modi. They have highlighted what they call a "new normal" in counter-terrorism, which includes striking terror sanctuaries deep inside Pakistan and putting the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance.
