Monsoon session: Parliament to hold discussion on Op Sindoor, Pahalgam attack next week; LS, RS adjourned amid Opposition protests

MPs displaying street-like behaviour in Parliament: LS Speaker

NEW DELHI — Parliament is likely to take up a discussion on the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor early next week, with both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha expected to hold a 16-hour debate each.

While the government had agreed to the 16-hour discussion in the Lok Sabha at the Business Advisory Committee meeting on July 21, a similar decision was taken at the Rajya Sabha's BAC meeting on Wednesday, amid the opposition's insistence that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should speak on the issue.

The Lok Sabha will begin the discussion on July 28 and the Rajya Sabha a day later if there are no disruptions, sources said.

Opposition protests over a host of issues, especially the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in poll-bound Bihar, have washed out the proceedings in both the Houses, except for a few transactions, since the Monsoon session began on Monday.

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It has also attacked the government for not prioritising a discussion on Operation Sindoor and the April 22 Pahalgam attack.

The government, the sources said, has made no commitment on the opposition's demand for the prime minister's response but has cited its proposal for a parliamentary discussion next week on the ground that Modi will be back by then from his four-day foreign visit, for which he left on Wednesday.

A senior BJP leader said the debate on the conflict with Pakistan, which ensued after India retaliated under Operation Sindoor following the killing of 26 civilians in the Pahalgam terror attack, will not only have a strong national traction but will also be paid attention to by the global community.

"The prime minister may choose the occasion to convey his government's robust response to the terror attack and stand on a host of issues," the BJP leader said, adding that a final call has not been taken yet on whether Modi will speak or not.

Congress' deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha Pramod Tiwari, who attended the BAC meeting, claimed, "We have demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should be present during the discussion, and we have been assured of that by the government."

This was the first BAC meeting after Jagdeep Dhankhar stepped down as vice president on Monday, when he chaired two back-to-back committee meetings to finalise the House's agenda. The vice president is ex officio chairman of the Rajya Sabha.

Dhankhar called off the second meeting and rescheduled it for Tuesday as Leader of the House in Rajya Sabha J P Nadda and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju did not attend due to what they later said was their engagement in other official business. Dhankhar resigned a few hours later to "prioritise health care".

The BAC includes representatives of various parties and is chaired by the respective presiding officers of the two Houses.

The opposition has also demanded debate on a host of other topics, including the Bihar SIR, but the government has given no assurance on it so far.

Lok Sabha adjourned for the day amid Opposition protests for third consecutive day

The Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day at 2 pm on Wednesday amid noisy protests by opposition members protesting against the revision of electoral rolls in Bihar.

This is the third consecutive day of the Monsoon session that the House has faced disruptions.

Waving placards and raising slogans, opposition members stormed into the Well of the House during the Question Hour, leading to the adjournment of the proceedings for the day.

Earlier the proceedings were adjourned till 2 pm when the protests and sloganeering continued.

Similar scenes played out when the House reconvened and TDP leader Krishna Prasad Tenneti, who was in the Chair, adjourned the proceedings.

Opposition members raised slogans like "SIR wapas lo (Roll back SIR)".

The opposition is demanding a discussion on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, an exercise initiated by the Election Commission ahead of the state assembly polls due later this year.

Speaker Om Birla said the protesting MPs were behaving as if they were on the streets and warned that he would be forced to take "decisive" action against them.

"You should behave in a manner that reflects the hopes and aspirations of the people who have elected you. You should work in a manner and debate and discuss issues that will make people's lives easier. But you have been showing street-like behaviour in Parliament," he said.

Birla also told the members that their behaviour does not behove Parliamentarians.

"The MPs are not supposed to carry placards. If you continue with such acts, I will be forced to take decisive action," he said and asked the members to take their seats.

The House witnessed repeated adjournments and could not function on the first two days of the Monsoon session due to opposition protests over the demand for a discussion on Operation Sindoor and the SIR in Bihar.

MPs displaying street-like behaviour in Parliament: LS Speaker

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Wednesday said members protesting in the well of the House by waving placards were displaying street-like behaviour in Parliament.

The Speaker's remarks came as opposition members led by the Congress trooped into the well of the House protesting the special revision of electoral rolls in Bihar.

"You should behave in a manner that reflects the hopes, aspirations of the people who have elected you. You should work in a manner and debate and discuss issues that would make people's lives easier," he said as the House took up the Question Hour.

"But you have been showing street-like behaviour in Parliament," the Speaker said.

He also told the leaders of the political parties that the behaviour of the MPs don't behove of parliamentarians.

"Members are not supposed to carry placards. If you continue with such acts, I will be forced to take decisive action," he said.

The Speaker then adjourned the proceedings till noon.

Rajya Sabha adjourned for the day amid protests over electoral rolls revision in Bihar

The Rajya Sabha was repeatedly disrupted on Wednesday as Opposition MPs demanded a discussion on the issue of Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in Bihar, and finally adjourned for the day soon after it met for the post-lunch sitting.

The Upper House saw its first adjournment after it met at 11 AM, and the second one at noon. Both the times, the House was adjourned after Opposition protested over the Bihar voter list revision issue.

When the House assembled for the third time at 2 PM, it was adjourned for the day after witnessing similar protests.

At 2 PM, Ports, Shipping and Waterways Minister Sarbananda Sonowal moved The Carriage of Goods by Sea Bill 2025 for discussion and passing.

However, the Opposition members continued their protest demanding a discussion on the SIR issue, with some even trooping into the Well of the House, while many others remained on their feet.

Opposition MPs raised slogans against the SIR exercise, and also demanded that Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge be allowed to speak.

Bhubaneswar Kalita, who was in the Chair, adjourned the House for the day as the protests continued.

Earlier in the day, the Upper House witnessed similar protests leading to adjournments.

The Opposition members created uproar in the House following rejection of their adjournment notices demanding discussion on various issues, including SIR.

Soon after the listed papers were tabled, Deputy Chairman Harivansh informed that he has received 25 notices under Rule 267 demanding discussion on SIR, demolition of slums in Delhi, alleged discrimination against migrant workers from Bengal in other states, and air safety.

The Chair, however rejected all the adjournment notices, which led to huge protest and sloganeering by MPs of different Opposition parties.

Harivansh urged the House to at least allow Vaiko (MDMK) to raise his Zero Hour mention saying his Rajya Sabha term was ending on July 24.

Vaiko raised the issue related to increasing incidents of arrest of Indian fishermen by Sri Lanka even as the protest continued.

When the House met at noon, Ghanshyam Tiwari, who was in the Chair, called the Question Hour to be taken up, but Opposition members were on their feet and demanded that the SIR issue be discussed.

Protesting members ignored requests by the Chair to allow the Question Hour to proceed, forcing adjournment.

When the Chair called the name of CPI's Sandosh Kumar P to ask his supplementary question, he started raising the SIR issue.

On Tuesday also, the Rajya Sabha had witnessed several adjournments, mainly on SIR matter, and could not conduct any substantial business.