Centre open to Parliament debate on Op Sindoor, Bihar SIR; mum on PM Modi's reply

In a wily political move the Centre has indicated its willingness to discuss issues linked with the Pahalgam terror attack, Operation Sindoor and the ongoing special intensive revision (SIR) of poll-bound Bihar’s electoral rolls – all key demands of a united Opposition – during Parliament’s monsoon session beginning on Monday (July 21) but without committing to any timeline for these debates.

Opposition’s demands

At the customary all-party meeting convened by the Centre, on Sunday (July 20) to discuss issues that may be taken up during the month long monsoon session, Opposition parties from the INDIA bloc as well as unaligned outfits were unanimous in demanding a detailed discussion on the intertwined issues of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, the subsequent launch of Operation Sindoor by the Indian Armed Forces and its halt with US President Donald Trump’s announcement of a ceasefire between India and Pakistan. The Opposition was also steadfast in demanding that a reply to the debate on these issues must come not from some Union minister but from Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself.

Also read: INDIA Bloc parties meet online: here are the key takeaways

The Opposition also pressed for a detailed discussion on “India’s isolation at the global stage during and after Operation Sindoor” and the Modi regime’s “major departures” from India’s traditional foreign policy framework, citing in particular the deafening silence of the Centre on Israel’s genocidal campaign in Gaza.

Centre non-committal on PM’s presence

Sources told The Federal that Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju told the Opposition that the Centre is “open to discussing all issues” but with the caveat that a timeline for when these issues will be taken up for debate during the session and under which rule “can only be decided by the Business Advisory Committee”.

While Opposition leaders from INDIA bloc parties like the Congress, DMK, CPI(M), NCP-SP, Shiv Sena-UBT and few others insisted on an assurance about Modi’s presence in Parliament whenever these issues are taken up for discussion and a reply from him, Rijiju refrained from engaging on the issue.

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With Modi expected to be on a visit to Russia from July 23 to July 26, sources in the Opposition told The Federal, that any attempt by the Centre to have the discussion on the issues linked with Pahalgam attack and Operation Sindoor or even the Bihar SIR will be resisted.

Pramod Tiwari, the Congress’ deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha, who was among his party leaders attending the all-party meeting, told reporters that if Modi had plans of visiting Russia from July 23 to July 26, the Centre should have “convened the Parliament session after the prime minister’s return”.

Watch: INDIA bloc plans Monsoon Session strategy amid Bihar SIR showdown | Capital Beat

Oppn flags lack of ‘sincerity’

Later, Tiwari told The Federal, “every time there is an important issue that the Opposition wants discussed in Parliament, the prime minister conveniently leaves for a foreign trip... we want him to come to Parliament, we want him to face questions on the failures of his government that led to the killing of 26 Indian civilians in Pahalgam, we want him to tell us why he bowed down before Donald Trump to accept the ceasefire against Pakistan when our Armed Forces were dominating in Operation Sindoor. These are issues of national importance and no one but the prime minister should reply to them.”

CPI MP Sandosh Kumar P saw “no sincerity” in Rijiju’s assurance about the Centre’s willingness to discuss matters highlighted by the Opposition. “This has become a routine practice; before every Parliament session they (the Centre) convene an all-party meeting and tell the Opposition that they are open to discussing all issues we are raising but when the session starts, they find some reason or other to not allow discussion; either they will say they cannot discuss under the Rule in which Opposition is demanding debate or that they want legislative agenda to be cleared first and will have debate later... there is no sincerity in their assurance,” the CPI MP added.

Also read: All-party meet: Centre ready to discuss Op Sindoor in Monsoon Session, says Rijiju

‘Heavy legislative agenda’

Sources in the government told The Federal that the Centre has a “heavy legislative agenda” for the upcoming session, which has been extended till August 21 – it was initially scheduled to conclude on August 12 – and will now have 21 sittings of Parliament.

The most important item on the Centre’s legislative agenda, it is learnt, will be the passage of the new Income Tax Bill, presently under scrutiny of a Select Committee. The government is also expected to push an array of other legislation that include the Taxation Laws (Amendment) Bill, the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, the National Sports Governance Bill, Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill and the Manipur Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill, among others.

Justice Verma impeachment

The legislative agenda aside, the Centre is also keen to initiate impeachment proceedings against Justice Yashwant Verma, at whose official residence wads of currency notes were recovered following a mysterious fire incident earlier this year. Rijiju confirmed to reporters on Sunday that the Centre has already initiated the process of securing 100 signatures from Lok Sabha MPs, which are required under the Constitution to start impeachment proceedings in Parliament’s Lower House against a judge. The Parliamentary Affairs minister said that the government wants the impeachment process to be bipartisan and has asked Opposition MPs to also sign the motion for Justice Verma’s removal.

Also read: Centre to introduce impeachment motion against Justice Yashwant Varma: Rijiju

The Centre, however, is not keen on taking up the other impeachment motion submitted by 55 Rajya Sabha MPs from the Opposition camp during the last winter session seeking the removal of Allahabad High Court’s Justice Shekhar Yadav, who had made blatantly unconstitutional and communal remarks against Indian Muslims while attending an event organised by the VHP last year.

The political grapevine at Raisina Hill has also been abuzz with the Centre planning to spring a surprise with its legislative agenda during the upcoming session but no clarity on this front has emerged thus far.

Opposition wish-list

The Opposition, on the other hand, has its own expansive wish-list of issues it wants taken up for discussion in Parliament. At a meeting of the Opposition’s INDIA bloc convened virtually on Saturday (July 19), leaders of 24 parties that are part of the alliance collectively agreed on eight broad issues over which they would seek answers from the prime minister and his government.

These issues include the alleged intelligence failure that led to the Pahalgam terror attack, matters related to Operation Sindoor, including but not limited to US President Trump’s claim of having “used trade” to force India into accepting a ceasefire with Pakistan, the ongoing Bihar SIR and functioning of the Election Commission in alleged connivance with the BJP to disenfranchise lakhs of voters, the impending delimitation exercise, rise in atrocities on Dalits, tribals, women and religious minorities and matters related to India’s foreign policy (especially with regard to the US, China and the ongoing genocide in Gaza).

Watch: EC's SIR in Bihar a precursor to One Nation, One Election? Talking Sense With Srini

J-K statehood issue

Additionally, Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, the Leaders of Opposition in Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha, respectively, have already written to Modi demanding that the Centre bring legislation during the upcoming session to restore statehood for Jammu and Kashmir and another to include the Union Territory of Ladakh under the Constitution’s Sixth Schedule.

The demand by Kharge and Rahul was also endorsed by INDIA bloc leaders during Saturday’s meeting of the alliance, say sources, with Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and National Conference leader Omar Abdullah noting that the Centre’s argument of security concerns being a crucial factor in the downgrading of the erstwhile state to a UT six years ago had fallen flat in wake of the Pahalgam attack.

Also read: Why Kharge-Rahul’s letter to Modi on J-K statehood set rumour mills buzzing

Test of alliance unity

While the INDIA bloc leadership had come together after a gap of over a year to present a united front with a clear political agenda against the Centre, the upcoming session will also be a test of the alliance’s unity. The past two sessions of Parliament had seen intense bickering with the alliance with constituents trying to outshout one another in their bid to raise issues each felt were more important than the other’s.

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The lack of coordination and a clear common agenda was red-flagged by the CPI’s D Raja at Saturday’s INDIA bloc meeting. Sources told The Federal that the alliance leaders admitted that there had been lapses in coordination within the alliance and agreed that the top leadership of each of the INDIA bloc parties would try to convene for an in-person meeting in Delhi, possibly towards the end of the monsoon session, in order to work out an “actionable blueprint” for the alliance’s joint programs and campaigns beyond coordination of floor strategy during sessions of Parliament.