By Dr. Gyan Pathak
Even a naïve can perceive that the Union Government is playing a trick in respect to discussion on the Operation Sindoor and the ensuing events in the Parliament of India. They had given assurance in the all-party meeting on the eve of the Monsoon Session of the Parliament that government was ready for any discussion on the issue, then the clarification came from the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs that the final call on discussion in Parliament will be taken by the Business Advisory Committees of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. Nevertheless, when the Houses of Parliament opened for the Monsoon Session on Monday, July 21 and the Opposition insisted on PM Narendra Modi’s statement on the issue, both the Houses were adjourned, and Union Government was found not ready for discussion.
The protesting opposition was given only reassurance that government was ready for discussion, but only after the “modalities of discussion” is ready. The Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju told the Lok Sabha that the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) would decide and set the modalities and points of discussion in the all-party meeting to be held later in the day. “The government ready for discussion and welcome it. However, storming the well of the house on the inaugural day of session does not relate to parliamentary decorum and must be avoided,” he stated.
The Opposition INDIA bloc’s strategy was already well known – they wanted to pin down the Union Government on failure of the government on several fronts of pubic importance, chief among which were failure in preventing terror attack on Pahalgam, Operation Sindoor and ensuing events including Trump’s remarks, Air India crash, and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Bihar Electoral Roll. Several adjournment motions were moved and one of them was moved in the Lok Sabha by Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi.
As expected, Monsoon Session kicked off with a storm of protests. The Opposition rose in protest in the Lok Sabha seeking a statement from PM Narendra Modi on Operation Sindoor and the ensuing events including US President Trump’s statement and deterioration in India’s foreign policy. Speaker Om Birla tried to pacify the opposition by telling them that they would be accorded an opportunity adhering to procedures after the Question Hour, and even assured that treasury would respond to all their concerns, but failed. Opposition insisted on PM’s statement, and then the Speaker adjourned the house until noon.
In the Rajya Sabha, the Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar denied the Opposition’s notices to discuss the issues. “18 notices received under Rule 267…,” said the Chairman Dhankhar, which included the issues ranging from the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in Bihar, Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor, Union Government’s delay in publishing Keeladi report, free trade agreements with U.S. and EU and their impact on agriculture and others. He denied all notices and called upon the Leader of the Opposition in the Upper House Mallikarjun Kharge to address the House.
When the Congress President Kharge referred to U.S. President Donald Trump and sought clarification from the government over the issue, BJP President J P Nadda intervened and the ruckus followed. Nadda’s objection was that Kharge was discussing minute details of Operation Sindoor and Pahalgam terror attack. Nadda claimed, since Kharge’s notice was under Rule 267, his utterings were against this rule. Kharge said that the government was ready to discuss both the issue, but Nadda said that the government had agreed to discuss the matters during the “Business Advisory Council meeting”.
Here it becomes clear that government was not ready to discuss the issues from Pahalgam terror attack to Operation Sindoor, to Trump’s repeated claims and ensuing events. The assurance given in the all party meeting was therefore false. It is in this backdrop, government’s assurances and reassurances of being ready to discuss any issue in the parliament loses its face value.
During Kharge’s insistence of PM Modi’s participation in the discussion, Dhankhar intervened and said “this is political”, however adding, “The government is ready for comprehensive discussion. I will meet with the leaders and settle for a discussion. And I will ensure full-fledged discussion for as much time as you want.” Thus, Dhankhar effectively stopped Kharge to speak, which led to sloganeering of the opposition in protest. Then the house was adjourned briefly.
When Lok Sabha convened after noon, the protest of the opposition even intensified. The Officiating Speaker in the Lok Sabha Jagadambika Pal informed that the Speaker Om Birla had not accepted any of the adjournment motions. Rajya Sabha also reconvened, but the Opposition continued their protest.
Lok Sabha had to be readjourned till 2 PM due to Opposition insisting on discussion and PM’s statement. Officiating Speaker Jagadambika Pal’s and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s reassurance that the government was ready for discussion failed to pacify them. It was because as Rajnath Singh had made a nuanced statement of willing to have discussion for “as long as required” and “as mandated by the Speaker”. It created trust deficit between the ruling establishment and the opposition. When Lok Sabha reconvened at 2 PM, it was adjourned for the third time till 4 PM as Opposition continued its protest.
Congress walked out when the House reassembled for the Question Hour at 12 noon. Rajya Sabha resumed after 2 PM, but suffered a brief disruption again by continued protest by the Opposition.
It is worth noting that government was actually neither ready to discuss the issues relating the Pahalgam attack, Operation Sindoor, Trump’s statement, or ensuing events, but the Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju in the Lok Sabha, and Union Minister JP Nadda in Rajya Sabha went on saying that the government was ready for any discussion regarding the issues but it should happen according the rules. (IPA Service)
