Stormy Monsoon Session: Opposition Demands Mount Over Operation Sindoor, Bihar SIR, and Pahalgam Attack

Ahead of what promises to be a stormy monsoon session of Parliament, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government has called for an all-party meeting. During the meeting, the government said that it is open to discussing all issues in Parliament, including Operation Sindoor, reported PTI.

The Monsoon Session commenced the first of its 21 sittings on Monday, July 21, 2025. The opposition is expected to open discussion on the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, the Justice Yashwant Sinha cash row, and the Pahalgam terror attack.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju and Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal represented the NDA government at the conference on Sunday, July 20. Leaders of several parties attended, including the Opposition leaders Gaurav Gogoi and Jairam Ramesh, NCP-Sharad Pawar's Supriya Sule, DMK's T R Baalu, RPI (A) leader, and Union minister Ramdas Athawale.

During the all-party meeting, Rijiju told reporters, the government sought coordination with the opposition for the smooth running of the month-long session. He added that the government will respond appropriately in Parliament to the opposition raising the issue of Trump’s claims on Operation Sindoor.

Rijiju emphasised that the government is open to discussing all issues in Parliament in line with rules and traditions and asserted that the government was very much open to discussing important issues like Operation Sindoor, reported the Indian Express.

However, he added that the Business Advisory Committees of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha would take a final call on the issues to be discussed in Parliament.

“The government is not shying away and will never shy away, but is open to discussions within rules, conventions,” Rijiju said.

On the Opposition’s demand for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to make a statement on the Pahalgam attack and other issues, Mr. Rijiju said, “I want to make it clear that the Prime Minister remains in Parliament except during foreign travel. The Prime Minister always remains in Parliament, but the Prime Minister does not remain in the House all the time.” He added that Cabinet Ministers are always present in both Houses to respond to the issues concerning their Ministries.

However, the Congress said that the Prime Minister had a moral obligation to address important matters in Parliament. After the meeting, Congress Deputy Leader in the Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi told reporters, "We hope that the PM will fulfil his moral duty."

Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi said his party sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s statement on Trump’s claims, “lapses” which led to the Pahalgam attack and Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of poll rolls in Bihar, The Hindu reported.

The 2025 Income Tax Bill is the government’s top priority and was presented to the Lok Sabha on February 13 during the Budget Session of Parliament.

Opposition Files Notice

Several MPs of the Congress and other opposition parties have given adjournment notices in both houses for a discussion on the Pahalgam attack and Operation Sindoor.

Congress Rajya Sabha member Randeep Surjewala gave a notice under Rule 267 to discuss in the upper house the April 22 terror attack and Operation Sindoor, PTI reported. In his notice, he urged the Chairman to suspend all business of the day, as well as the Question Hour, to discuss the concerns regarding the attack in Pahalgam and India's response through Operation Sindoor.

Apart from Surjewala, Congress MP Renuka Chowdhury also gave an adjournment notice under Rule 267. She has sought to discuss the "grave lapses" in internal security that led to the terror attack, resulting in the tragic loss of innocent lives, cross-border terror emanating from Pakistan, and to deliberate on the foreign policy actions of the government following the ceasefire with Pakistan after Operation Sindoor, according to PTI.

"The matter becomes even more serious in light of former US President Donald Trump's repeated public statements, made 24 times so far, most recently on July 19, claiming that he mediated the ceasefire between India and Pakistan and used trade leverage to end hostilities," she said in the notice.

She added, "Such assertions, if true, would violate the provisions of the Shimla Agreement, which prohibits third-party mediation on India-Pakistan matters. The people of India deserve to know whether the Shimla agreement remains in place or not."

Gogoi filed an adjournment notice, demanding a discussion on the Pahalgam attack and Operation Sindoor. "I seek to move an adjournment of the business of the House to discuss a matter of urgent national importance: the terror attack in Pahalgam, India's military response through Operation Sindoor, and the political and diplomatic developments that followed," he said to PTI.

According to PTI, Gogoi said the events that followed Operation Sindoor have raised serious concerns requiring immediate and detailed deliberation in the lower house. "First, the sudden announcement of a ceasefire after the operation has created confusion about its terms, timing, and stakeholders... the President of the United States made controversial claims suggesting the ceasefire was externally brokered and that he intervened with Pakistan's military leadership,” he said.

Congress Rajya Sabha MP Naseer Hussain gave a notice to suspend all the business of the house to discuss the issue and concerns arising out of the ECI’s SIR of electoral rolls in Bihar ahead of the state’s assembly elections.

He alleged that the ECI’s plan to conduct a similar exercise nationwide would cause "disenfranchisement of a large section of the poor and marginalised, directly undermine the citizens' right to vote and erode the fairness and integrity of our electoral system".

The opposition said it will be seeking answers from Prime Minister Narendra Modi on all these issues.