The floor leaders of the INDIA bloc parties will meet on Monday at 10 am to discuss the strategy for the second week of the monsoon session, with the Lok Sabha slated to take up discussion on Operation Sindoor on Monday and the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is likely to initiate the discussion on Operation Sindhoor in the Lok Sabha on Monday.
A stalemate over opposition demands for discussion on issues being raised by them was broken on Friday following an all-party meeting. The government has been stating that it is willing to discuss Operation Sindoor and other issues subject to rules and permission of Chair.
Sources said that Home Minister Amit Shah, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and BJP MPs Anurag Thakur and Nishikant Dubey are expected to take part in the discussion in Lok Sabha.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to intervene in the discussion in the Lok Sabha. He may also intervene in the discussion in the Rajya Sabha.
Sources said discussion on Operation Sindoor will begin in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.
Rajnath Singh and Jaishankar will be among ministers who will take part in the discussion in the Rajya Sabha, sources said.
TDP’s Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu and GM Harish Balayogi are expected to participate in the discussion on Op Sindoor in the Lok Sabha. The sources said the party has been allotted 30 minutes. From the Samajwadi Party, its chief, Akhilesh Yadav, and MP Rajiv Rai will participate in the debate.
Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju stated that the debate on Operation Sindoor will be held for 16 hours in the Lok Sabha on Monday (July 28) and for 16 hours in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday (July 29).
“All issues cannot be discussed together… The opposition has raised several issues, like the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in Bihar and others. We have told them that Operation Sindoor will be discussed first. We will decide which issues to discuss after that. Operation Sindoor will be debated for 16 hours in the Lok Sabha on Monday (July 28) and for 16 hours in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday (July 29),” Rijiju told reporters.
Opposition parties have been demanding a discussion on the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor and have sought the government’s clarification over US President Donald Trump’s repeated claims that he brokered a ceasefire between India and Pakistan.
The Opposition parties had been demanding PM Modi’s presence during the debate. Since PM Modi travelled abroad on a two-nation visit this week, the discussion has been scheduled for next week.
Rijiju also stated that the motion to remove Justice Yashwant Verma, from whose residence burnt wads of cash were recovered following a fire incident, will be moved in the Lok Sabha first, as per the rules. He said that the removal of Justice Verma should be a joint decision.
“We have been making efforts regarding the matter of Justice Yashwant Verma. We have clearly stated that it is not only the government’s efforts, but the entire Parliament is responsible for addressing the issue of corruption in the judiciary and removing judges from the Supreme Court or High Court. We should not be divided on this issue,” the Union Minister said.
Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi on Saturday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of double standards in its approach to judicial matters, particularly regarding Justice Verma and Justice Yadav.
Singhvi accused BJP of “selective outrage and silence” on the issues surrounding these two judges and alleged that BJP’s actions are driven more by optics than a genuine commitment to the law.
Opposition parties in Rajya Sabha in in December gave impeachment motion notice concerning Justice Yadav deals over his controversial speech delivered at a gathering organised by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad.
Singhvi, who addressed a press conference, accused BJP of “double standards” regarding judicial propriety, the anti-corruption movement, and judicial accountability, saying that their actions don’t match their words.
Opposition parties have also been demanding discussions on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar and India’s foreign policy. Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha have witnessed repeated adjournments since the beginning of the monsoon session of Parliament on July 21, with the two Houses transacting little business.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla called an all-party meeting on Friday to end the stalemate.
Before adjourning the House amid sloganeering by opposition members on Friday, Birla urged them to allow the House to function normally. He objected to opposition members displaying banners.
He said the stalemate is not good. “Come, there will be a discussion to end the stalemate. There will also be representatives from the government…If there is disagreement, it should be expressed as per House norms,” he said. (ANI)
