NEW DELHI, Jul 21: With the Monsoon session of Parliament commencing today, 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.
The Congress and INDIA bloc parties are seeking to corner the government during this session by raising issues like the Pahalgam attack, Trump’s repeated claims of mediating a ceasefire with Pakistan following Operation Sindoor, and the Special Intensive Review of electoral rolls in Bihar, among others.
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.
In his notice, he urged the Chairman to suspended 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.
Another Congress MP Renuka Chowdhury has given an adjournment notice under Rule 267.
She sought to discuss the “grave lapses” in internal security that led to the terror attack, resulting in 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.
“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 personally mediated the ceasefire between India and Pakistan and used trade leverage to end hostilities,” she said in the notice.
“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,” she said.
Congress deputy leader in the Lok Sabha, Gaurav 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.
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 personally intervened with Pakistan’s military leadership. These statements, if unchallenged, risk undermining India’s sovereign standing in regional security,” he said in the notice.
Gogoi also said that the Chief of Defence Staff made public remarks on the nature and location of Operation Sindoor at an international forum, raising questions about the protocols governing strategic disclosures.
“A comprehensive discussion is essential to uphold democratic accountability, maintain institutional trust, and clarify India’s national security and diplomatic posture. I hereby request permission to raise the matter,” he said in his notice.
Meanwhile, 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 special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in Bihar ahead of the assembly elections there.
He alleged that the ECs plan to conduct a similar exercise nationwide “including 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 will be seeking answers from Prime Minister Narendra Modi on all these issues. (Agencies)
