New Delhi– Amid heated exchanges between the government and the Opposition on the first day of the Monsoon Session, the Centre has reportedly agreed to hold a debate on the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor.
According to top sources, both Houses of Parliament will take up an extensive discussion on these contentious issues next week — with the Lok Sabha allocating 16 hours and the Rajya Sabha dedicating 9 hours for the debate.
The Opposition had been demanding a discussion on these matters at the very start of the session, specifically in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. However, a consensus was apparently reached to schedule the debate for next week, as PM Modi is set to leave on a two-nation tour on July 23 and will return only by the weekend.
For the past few weeks, concerns over security lapses in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, Operation Sindoor, and former U.S. President Donald Trump’s alleged role in de-escalating tensions have been major flashpoints between the Congress-led Opposition and the government.
Speaking on the floor of the Rajya Sabha as the session began, Congress President and Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge reiterated the demand for a comprehensive debate on these “burning issues” and urged the government to allocate two full days for discussion, followed by a response from the Prime Minister.
“Two months ago, we asked for a special session. Now that the session is underway, we want a two-day debate on the Pahalgam attack, Operation Sindoor, the security failures, and foreign policy,” Kharge said.
Kharge noted that Jammu and Kashmir’s Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha had acknowledged security lapses in Pahalgam, and urged the government to explain how the attackers have remained at large even after three months.
He also called on the Centre to respond to Trump’s repeated claims that U.S. intervention prevented the military confrontation from escalating.
Responding to Kharge, Leader of the House and senior BJP leader J.P. Nadda stated that the government is fully prepared for a detailed discussion and is “not shying away” from any debate.
As the Opposition MPs, including those from the Congress, submitted adjournment motions to prioritize the issue over scheduled business, Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar assured the protesting members that a comprehensive debate would indeed be facilitated.
With inputs from IANS