Category: National

A day before Parliament begins its high-voltage debate on the Pahalgam terror attack and subsequent Operation Sindoor, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday reaffirmed India’s firm resolve against terrorism, declaring that the precision strikes on terror hubs in Pakistan were a clear message — “there are no safe havens for terrorists and their masters.” Speaking at an event in Tamil Nadu’s Gangaikonda Cholapuram to honour Chola emperor Rajendra Chola, PM Modi said, “India places the highest priority on its national security. Operation Sindoor has created a new sense of awakening and self-confidence across the country.” The Prime Minister added that the world had witnessed India’s decisive response to threats against its sovereignty. His strong remarks appear to have set the tone for the government’s aggressive defence in the upcoming debate in both Houses of Parliament starting Monday. Fiery Debate Expected as Govt and Opposition Lock Horns With the Monsoon Session of Parliament having begun with disruptions, the two sides have now agreed to a marathon 16-hour debate in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. The discussion will cover the Pahalgam attack — in which several tourists were killed — and India’s retaliatory operation. Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is expected to open the debate in the Lok Sabha after Question Hour. Sources indicate that Home Minister Amit Shah and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will also weigh in. There are indications that PM Modi himself may intervene to underline his government’s “robust” stand on national security. On the Opposition side, Rahul Gandhi (Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha) and Mallikarjun Kharge (LoP in Rajya Sabha) are set to lead the charge, along with leaders such as Samajwadi Party’s Akhilesh Yadav and others from the INDIA bloc. Opposition’s Strategy: Shift Focus from Sindoor to Security Lapses While the government plans to showcase Operation Sindoor as a decisive act of strength, the opposition — led by the Congress — is expected to turn the spotlight on what they claim is a pattern of national security failures under PM Modi’s leadership. The opposition is likely to raise a series of terror attacks — including Uri, Pulwama, and now Pahalgam — to argue that India has remained vulnerable to cross-border threats during the Modi years, despite repeated claims of “zero tolerance” for terror. The Congress is also likely to question why the Operation Sindoor mission was halted abruptly and why Parliament wasn’t consulted earlier. Trump Factor Enters Debate In a new twist, Congress has brought in former US President Donald Trump’s controversial claim that he stopped Operation Sindoor. On Sunday, party leader Jairam Ramesh posted on social media that “since May 10, Trump has claimed 26 times that he stopped Operation Sindoor by threatening to cut off trade with India, and claimed that five Indian fighter jets may have been shot down.” Ramesh pointed out that despite Congress’s demand for a special two-day session of Parliament following the operation’s sudden halt, no such session was called. “Nevertheless, better late than never,” he added. Religious Targeting in Pahalgam Attack In a sensitive and politically charged point, the Opposition may also highlight reports suggesting that the Pahalgam terrorists singled out tourists based on religion — a narrative they had previously avoided due to fears of polarization. This time, however, Congress and its allies are expected to bring it up in order to challenge the government’s handling of internal security. With strong rhetoric, high stakes, and deep political undercurrents, the debate on Operation Sindoor is expected to be among the most consequential of the session — with the government looking to reinforce its nationalist credentials and the opposition aiming to expose perceived lapses.

On Monday, July 28, 2025, several Members of Parliament from the INDIA bloc, including Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi, staged a protest in the Parliament House complex against the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls in Bihar. The leaders called for an immediate rollback of the revision exercise, which they allege is aimed at disenfranchising voters ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections in the state. Ahead of the day’s parliamentary proceedings, top Opposition leaders — including Sonia Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, TMC leaders Derek O’Brien and Sagarika Ghose, and DMK MPs Kanimozhi and A. Raja — gathered near the Makar Dwar steps of Parliament and raised slogans against the EC’s move. Holding placards that read “Stop SIR”, and standing in front of a large banner proclaiming “SIR – Attack on Democracy”, MPs from Congress, DMK, TMC, Samajwadi Party, RJD, and Left parties marked the fifth consecutive day of protest on the issue. The Opposition has been vocal in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, demanding a full discussion on the Special Intensive Revision process. They argue that the EC’s actions could lead to targeted voter suppression in Bihar. On Friday, July 25, Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, and other INDIA bloc MPs had organized an unusual demonstration by tearing posters marked with “SIR” and placing them into a symbolic “disposal bin.” They also carried out a protest march within the Parliament complex, reiterating their demands for a rollback of the revision and a debate in both Houses.

कांग्रेस के सबसे लोकप्रिय सांसदों में से एक, शशि थरूर ने आज संसद में ‘ऑपरेशन सिंदूर’ पर हो रही विशेष चर्चा में हिस्सा लेने से इनकार कर दिया। पार्टी सूत्रों के अनुसार, कांग्रेस ने थरूर से इस अहम बहस में भाग लेने का अनुरोध किया था, लेकिन उन्होंने स्वेच्छा से इससे मना कर दिया। यह विशेष चर्चा आज दोपहर से शुरू हुई है, जो अप्रैल 22 को पहलगाम में हुए आतंकी हमले के जवाब में भारत द्वारा पाकिस्तान और पाकिस्तान अधिकृत कश्मीर में किए गए सैन्य अभियान के बाद विपक्ष की मांग पर बुलाई गई है। विपक्ष के नेता राहुल गांधी, उनके उपनेता गौरव गोगोई, सांसद प्रियंका गांधी वाड्रा, दीपेन्द्र हुड्डा, परीनेति शिंदे, शफी परम्बिल, माणिकम टैगोर और राजा बारड़ कांग्रेस की ओर से 16 घंटे की इस बहस में भाग लेंगे। हालांकि, शशि थरूर का नाम वक्ताओं की सूची में न होना कई लोगों के लिए हैरानी का कारण बना, क्योंकि उन्होंने ‘ऑपरेशन सिंदूर’ के दौरान अमेरिका में कांग्रेस के सबसे अहम प्रतिनिधिमंडल का नेतृत्व किया था। जब एक NDTV पत्रकार ने उनसे पूछा कि क्या वह आज संसद में बोलेंगे, तो थरूर ने सवाल को टाल दिया और चुपचाप चले गए। पार्टी सूत्रों ने बाद में किसी भी प्रकार के मतभेद की अटकलों को खारिज करते हुए कहा कि पार्टी ने उनसे जरूर संपर्क किया था, लेकिन उन्होंने स्वयं इस बहस में हिस्सा न लेने का फैसला किया। कांग्रेस सांसद और थरूर की सहयोगी रेणुका चौधरी ने कहा, “उन्हें कहीं भी बोलने का संवैधानिक अधिकार है। मैं कौन होती हूं उन्हें अनुमति देने वाली?”