Monsoon session: Parliament to debate Operation Sindoor; after washout week, top guns to face off
NEW DELHI: After a week of disruptions, Parliament's Monsoon session is poised to shift gears on Monday with an intense debate on the
Pahalgam terror attack
and
Operation Sindoor
, as the ruling BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the opposition prepare to go head-to-head over national security and foreign policy issues.
Top ministers from the government and senior leaders from the opposition are expected to participate in what is being billed as a marathon 16-hour debate in both Houses, starting with the Lok Sabha on Monday, followed by the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.
These discussions, sources told the news agency PTI, may extend well beyond the allotted time, given the political stakes involved.
Home minister Amit Shah, defence minister Rajnath Singh, and external affairs minister S Jaishankar are expected to lead the government's charge during the debate.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi reportedly may intervene to highlight what the government views as its 'robust' record on national security.
On the opposition side, Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge are likely to lead the charge, alongside Samajwadi Party's Akhilesh Yadav and other senior leaders from the INDIA bloc.
Their criticism has focused on alleged intelligence failures preceding the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, which killed 26 civilians, and on US President Donald Trump's repeated claims of mediating between India and Pakistan.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
Baking Soda Tricks Everyone Should Know About
Beach Raider
Undo
Rahul Gandhi has targeted the government's foreign policy, arguing that India failed to garner international backing during Operation Sindoor.
He has also cited Trump's mediation remarks as evidence of the government's diplomatic setbacks. PM Modi, however, has hailed Operation Sindoor, India's cross-border strike on terror bases in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, as a resounding success that showcased the effectiveness of the country's indigenous defence capabilities.
'India has drawn a 'new normal' in its response to Pakistan-linked terrorism, and it will not differentiate between terrorists and their sponsors,' PM Modi asserted, defending the government's firm approach in the aftermath of the Pahalgam attack. India caused serious damage to several Pakistani air bases in the four-day conflict.
Meanwhile, the NDA plans to field a wide range of speakers, including ministers and MPs from the seven multi-party delegations that travelled to over 30 global capitals to explain India's position post-Operation Sindoor.
These include Shrikant Shinde (Shiv Sena), Sanjay Jha (JDU), and Harish Balayogi (TDP), among others.
A key point of interest remains whether Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, who led one of the delegations to the US, will be allowed to speak during the debate. His public praise for the government's handling of the operation has reportedly created friction within his party. However, sources suggest that a way may be found for him to participate, given the significance of his role.
While the focus is shifting to national security, one unresolved issue continues to hang over the session -- the opposition's demand for a debate on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar.
The opposition claims the Election Commission's exercise could benefit the BJP in the upcoming Bihar polls, an allegation the EC has denied, stating the revision is aimed solely at ensuring only eligible voters are on the rolls.
Parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju, speaking on July 25 after the session's first week ended in a washout, confirmed that the opposition had agreed to begin discussions on the twin issues of Pahalgam and Sindoor.
However, on the SIR issue, Rijiju reiterated the government's position: 'Every issue cannot be taken up for discussion in Parliament at once,' adding that the government will consider the demand for a separate debate in due course, as per the rules.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
25 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Punjab to launch ‘evidence-based' anti-drug school curriculum in govt schools on August 1
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led Punjab government is set to roll out an anti-drug school curriculum, developed by Nobel Laureate Prof Abhijit Banerjee-led organisation J-PAL South Asia, for Classes IX to XII in government schools to empower around eight lakh students with prevention-focused skills to combat substance abuse as part of its ongoing 'Yudh Nasheyan Virudh', Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains said on Monday. Addressing a press conference in Chandigarh, Bains said Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal would launch the statewide curriculum at Arniwala in the border district of Fazilka on August 1. Bains said the drug prevention programme would have a wide reach, covering 3,658 schools and engaging over 6,500 trained teachers to empower approximately eight lakh students from Classes IX to XII to ensure a significant impact on Punjab's education system, equipping students with essential skills to say 'no to substance abuse'. 'The curriculum consists of 35-minute sessions, to be held every fortnight for 27 weeks, featuring a mix of engaging content, including documentaries, quizzes, posters and interactive activities. These sessions will focus on key areas such as myth-busting, refusal strategies and resisting peer pressure, equipping students with the knowledge and skills to make informed decisions,' Bains said. The minister said, 'The initiative is grounded in evidence, developed with leading behavioural scientists, and evaluated through randomised trials conducted in 78 government schools in Amritsar and Tarn Taran during 2024-25.' 'These trials covered 9,600 students and, evaluated by J-PAL South Asia, yielded significant results. The trials demonstrated a marked improvement in addiction risk awareness, with 90 per cent of students recognising the high risk of addiction from trying 'chitta' even once, compared to 69 per cent in the control group. Additionally, the trial successfully debunked myths about addiction, with the belief that addiction can be overcome by willpower alone dropping from 50 per cent to 20 per cent,' said Bains. Noting that Punjab's drug crisis is a result of 'decades of systemic neglect and patronisation of previous regimes,' Bains said, 'Punjab becomes the first state in India to implement a statewide, evidence-based drug prevention curriculum, while recognising that the battle against drugs begins from the classroom, not in police stations.' He said the state government has taken stringent actions, including putting over 23,000 drug peddlers behind bars, seizing their properties, and confiscating over 1,000 kg of heroin.
The Hindu
25 minutes ago
- The Hindu
The Hindu Morning Digest, July 29, 2025
Ceasefire had no linkage with U.S. trade: Jaishankar in Parliament In a clear rebuttal of the repeated assertions by U.S. President Donald Trump that he stopped the recent India-Pakistan conflict, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar told the Lok Sabha that there was no phone call between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Mr. Trump during the tense phase with Pakistan after the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam. Mr. Trump has said on multiple occasions that he extracted a ceasefire from India and Pakistan by threatening to cut off trade if they continued fighting. Yemen revokes Nimisha Priya's death sentence, claims Kanthapuram The execution of Malayali nurse Nimisha Priya, who is on a death row for the alleged murder of Yemeni national Talal Abdo Mahdi, has been revoked by the Houthi militia in Yemeni capital Sanaa, office of Sunni leader Kanthapuram A.P. Aboobacker Musliar claimed. However, Indian officials handling the case did not confirm the development. India, Pakistan would still be at war if not for his intervention, Trump repeats ceasefire claim India and Pakistan would still be warring with each other, if not for his intervention, U.S. President Donald Trump said. The U.S. President made the remarks before beginning talks with U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer at Trump Turnberry golf course in Scotland. The President also claimed, again, repeated his claim that he used trade as leverage to get New Delhi and Islamabad to stop fighting in early May this year, after terrorists opened fire and killed 26 civilians in Pahalgam. New Delhi has consistently denied Mr. Trump's claims that he was instrumental in bringing about the May 10 ceasefire between the two countries. At least 34 killed in heavy rains and flooding in and near Beijing Heavy rains and flooding killed 30 people in Beijing, China's capital, the country's state media reported on Tuesday (July 29, 2025), bringing the death toll from the storms in the region to at least 34. State broadcaster CCTV said that 28 people had died in Beijing's hard-hit Miyun district and two others in Yanqing district as of midnight. Both are outlying parts of the sprawling city, far from the downtown. Why did Justice Varma submit to in-house inquiry if it was contrary to Constitution, Supreme Court asks The Supreme Court questioned High Court judge Justice Yashwant Varma's choice to submit to an in-house inquiry procedure into an allegation of 'burnt cash' found at his official residential premises in Delhi, despite finding the procedure to be 'completely contrary to the Constitutional scheme'. The query came after senior advocate Kapil Sibal complained that the action taken by the Supreme Court at the time, including release of sensitive visual and audio materials showing 'burnt currency', 'convicted' Justice Varma in the public eye. Opposition questions government on security lapses which led to Pahalgam terror attack Opposition parties, led by the Congress, questioned the Centre over 'security lapses' which had led to the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22. The parties also attacked the government over the sudden 'ceasefire' declaration and as well as claims made by U.S. President Donald Trump on having brokered it. The Congress's deputy leader in the Lok Sabha, Gaurav Gogoi, who opened the debate from Opposition ranks on the special discussion about 'India's strong, successful and decisive Operation Sindoor in response to the terror attack in Pahalgam', said Home Minister Amit Shah should take responsibility for the security lapses. Protests over SIR continue; Rajya Sabha fails to function Rajya Sabha failed to function as the Opposition MPs continued to protest over the issue of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in Bihar. This is the sixth consecutive sitting when no significant business could be transacted in the Upper House of Parliament. The Opposition had moved 26 notices under Rule 267 demanding discussion on various issues. Fourteen of these notices were on SIR exercise. Presidential Reference 'misleading', wants Supreme Court to sit on appeal against its own verdict in T.N. Governor case, says Kerala to Supreme Court The States of Tamil Nadu and Kerala urged the Supreme Court to dismiss the Presidential Reference seeking clarity on whether judiciary can fix timelines for the President and State Governors to clear State Bills, saying it is a ruse to make the apex court sit in appeal of its own authoritative pronouncement in the Tamil Nadu Governor case. The Constitution, both States said, did not allow the apex court to sit in appeal of its own judgments, nor can the President vest appellate jurisdiction in the court through a Presidential Reference. Tamil Nadu and Kerala termed the Reference as 'misleading' replete with 'suppressed facts'. West Bengal's 2002 SIR electoral roll appears on CEO site amidst speculations of fresh voter list revision Amid speculations of a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) being conducted for West Bengal's electoral roll, the 2002 voters' list of some districts has been made available online on the website of the State's Chief Electoral Officer (CEO). Reportedly, the last SIR of the voters' list in West Bengal was conducted in 2002. This development assumes significance considering that in Bihar, the last SIR was conducted in 2003 and the electoral roll of that year has been kept as a reference point for the submission of identification documents for the SIR of 2025. Assam govt prepares for mega eviction drive in Golaghat, to affect 2,000 families The Assam government is preparing to clear more than 10,000 bigha (over 3,300 acre) of land from alleged encroachments in Golaghat district, which will affect at least 2,000 families, officials said. The eviction drive will begin on Tuesday (July 29, 2025) morning in Rengma Reserve Forest in Uriamghat along the Assam-Nagaland border in Sarupathar sub-division, they said. IIM Calcutta to allow student out on bail in rape case to attend classes, bars him from hostel Premanand Mahaveer Toppanavar, the student of the Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta, who was accused of raping a woman on campus, has been allowed to resume classes after receiving bail, the Institute's director-in-charge, Saibal Chattopadhyay, told The Hindu. 'He is attending classes from today. Access to the hostel is barred for the time being,' Mr Chattopadhyay said. He added that the decision was taken in an emergency academic council meeting held on Friday. NIA submits reports on Jiribam killings, Manipur HC gives one month to file chargesheet The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has submitted two sealed reports to the Manipur High Court on the progress it has made in the Jiribam case in which six women and children of the Meitei community were abducted and later found dead in the Barak River in November last year. Taking it on record, the court told the probe agency to submit a detailed report in terms of the chargesheet within one month. SIT, along with complainant, inspects spots of alleged burials near Dharmasthala Officials of the Special Investigation Team (SIT), probing into the allegations of a series of murders and burials at Dharmasthala, along with the complainant-witness, inspected some spots near Dharmasthala on Monday where the latter has claimed to have buried bodies. According to official sources, the inspection of the spots of burials was part of the process to obtain permission to exhume bodies. After completing the inspection, a report will be submitted to the jurisdictional revenue officer to seek permission to exhume bodies. Muslim cleric booked for 'objectionable' remarks on Samajwadi Party MP Dimple Yadav A Muslim cleric has been booked for allegedly making objectionable and inflammatory remarks against Samajwadi Party MP Dimple Yadav during a televised debate, an official said on Monday (July 28, 2025). The FIR against cleric Maulana Sajid Rashidi was lodged at the Vibhuti Khand police station on Sunday (July 27, 2025) evening on a complaint by local resident Pravesh Yadav. The remarks in question were allegedly made in response to Dimple Yadav's recent visit to a mosque, where the cleric reportedly commented inappropriately on her attire. The complaint accused Rashidi of making statements that were not only derogatory and misogynistic, but also "highly provocative and aimed at inciting religious disharmony and communal tension," according to the FIR. Industrial growth pulled down to 10-month low of 1.5% in June Growth in industrial activity slowed to a 10-month low of 1.5% in June 2025, down from 1.9% in May. This slowdown was driven by the mining sector, which saw its worst performance in 58 months, and also by contractions in the electricity and primary goods sectors. Data on the Index of Industrial Production (IIP), released by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, showed the index last witnessed worse growth numbers in August 2024. Thailand and Cambodia agree to 'immediate and unconditional' ceasefire, Malaysian PM says Thailand and Cambodia have agreed to an 'immediate and unconditional' ceasefire from midnight to resolve deadly border clashes, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said. Mr. Anwar, who chaired the talks as head of the ASEAN regional bloc, said both sides have reached a common understanding to take steps to return to normalcy. Earlier, ceasefire talks have started between Thailand and Cambodian leaders in Malaysia in an urgent effort to resolve deadly border clashes that entered a fifth day despite mounting international calls for peace. Supreme Court takes suo motu cognisance of report over dog bites leading to rabies The Supreme Court took suo motu cognisance of a media report about incidents of dog bites leading to rabies. A bench of Justices J.B. Pardiwala and R. Mahadevan termed the news item published today in an English daily's Delhi edition as "very disturbing and alarming". It said every day, hundreds of dog bites were being reported in the city and on its outskirts, leading to rabies and ultimately, children and the aged were falling prey to the dreadful disease. FIDE Women's World Cup: Divya Deshmukh is the first Indian woman champion, becomes Grandmaster Divya Deshmukh is the World Cup winner. She is also India's latest Grandmaster, only the fourth Indian woman to get that most coveted of titles in chess. The 19-year-old from Nagpur recorded the greatest moment of her young career when she beat fellow-Indian Koneru Humpy in the tiebreakers of the World Cup final at Batumi, Georgia. Both games in the classical format had been drawn, leading to the shootout in speed chess.
Economic Times
25 minutes ago
- Economic Times
Parliament News Live Updates: Discussion on Operation Sindoor to continue today; PM Modi, Amit Shah address likely
29 Jul 2025 | 06:23:44 AM IST As Parliament continues its discussion on Operation Sindoor, Union Home Minister Amit Shah will address the Lok Sabha today between 12:00 to 1:00 pm, followed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's expected speech in the evening, ANI has reported citing a government source. As the Parliament continues its discussion on Operation Sindoor, Union Home Minister Amit Shah will address the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to deliver his speech in the evening, according to a government source said that Home Minister Amit Shah will address the Lok Sabha between 12:00 to 1:00 pm on Lok Sabha on Monday afternoon began discussion on 'India's strong, successful and decisive Operation Sindoor, launched in response to the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam. The debate was initiated by Defence Minister Rajnath Defence Minister, while speaking in the Lower House, said, "The objective of Operation Sindoor was not to cross the border or capture the territory, it was to eliminate terror nurseries which Pakistan had nurtured for years, and provide justice to the innocent families who lost their loved ones in cross-border attacks."According to a statement from the Defence Ministry, he termed Pakistan-sponsored terrorism as not "Random Madness", but a "well-planned strategy" and a "fundamental rage", emphasising that the overall politico-military objective of Operation Sindoor was to punish Pakistan for fighting a proxy war in the form of asserted that, during Operation Sindoor, India not only demonstrated its military capability, but also its national resolve, morality and political acumen, stressing that New Delhi will give a decisive and clear answer to any terrorist attack."Those who provide shelter and support to terrorism will not be spared. India is not going to bow down to any kind of nuclear blackmailing or other pressures," he said. Show more Thailand's army accused Cambodia of violating the countries' truce agreement on Tuesday, saying clashes continued despite a deal to pause combat along their jungle frontier."After a ceasefire had been declared, disturbances were reported in the Phu Makua area caused by the Cambodian side, leading to an exchange of fire between both sides that continued until morning," Thai army deputy spokesman Ritcha Suksuwanon said in a statement. "In addition, clashes also occurred in the Sam Taet area and continued until 5:30 am (2230 GMT)." Oil extended gains on Tuesday, lifted by hopes of improved economic activity after the U.S.-EU trade deal, a potential U.S.-China tariff truce and President Donald Trump's shorter deadline for Russia to end the Ukraine crude futures were up 24 cents, or 0.34%, to $70.28 a barrel by 0000 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude was at $66.93 a barrel, up 22 cents, or 0.33%.Both contracts settled more than 2% higher in the previous session, and Brent touched its highest level since July 18 on Monday. South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun will visit Japan on Tuesday for talks with his counterpart and then travel to the United States for a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, South Korea's foreign ministry said. Heavy rains in the Chinese capital Beijing have killed 30 people and prompted authorities to evacuate 80,000, state media said Tuesday. As the Parliament continues its discussion on Operation Sindoor, Union Home Minister Amit Shah will address the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to deliver his speech in the evening, according to source said that Home Minister Amit Shah will address the Lok Sabha between 12:00 to 1:00 pm on Tuesday.
