After a week of stalemate, Parliament set for high-voltage debate on Operation Sindoor

Both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha are scheduled to hold marathon sessions, precisely 16 hours each, to deliberate on what the Centre has described as a critical national security milestone.

After a stormy first week of disruptions, Parliament is gearing up for a high-stakes, three-day debate on the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack and India's military response under Operation Sindoor.

Starting Monday, the ruling BJP-led NDA and the Opposition are set to lock horns in a discussion bringing national security, foreign policy, and political credibility to the forefront.

Both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha are scheduled to hold marathon sessions, precisely 16 hours each, to deliberate on what the Centre has described as a critical national security milestone. The discussion is anticipated to culminate in a formal resolution praising the Indian Armed Forces and Operation Sindoor.

Operation Sindoor, India's retaliatory offensive targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and mainland Pakistan, was launched in the wee hours of May 7 in response to the Pahalgam attack, which claimed the lives of 26 civilians. The Narendra Modi government has asserted that the operation met 100 percent of its objectives, displaying the effectiveness of indigenous military systems and changing the rules of engagement with Pakistan. The brief but intense four-day conflict left several Pakistani airbases severely damaged, according to official claims.

The debate will see the participation of heavyweights from both camps.

Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar are set to present the Central government’s case. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also likely to intervene, underlining what the Centre calls its “new normal” in counter-terrorism, one that holds both terrorists and their state sponsors equally accountable.

Meanwhile, the Opposition, led by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Rajya Sabha Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge, is expected to question the intelligence failure that allowed the Pahalgam attack, the number of Indian casualties in the counteroffensive, as well as U.S. President Donald Trump’s repeated claims of having mediated the ceasefire between India and Pakistan. New Delhi has maintained that the ceasefire was a bilateral decision, with no foreign intervention.

The controversy extends indoors as well, inside the House, where the BJP plans to field a range of speakers, including those from the seven multi-party delegations that toured over 30 world capitals after Operation Sindoor. These include Shrikant Shinde (Shiv Sena - Shinde faction), Sanjay Jha (JD-U), and Harish Balayogi (TDP), among others. Their mission: to explain India's rationale and gather international support for the military action.

To be noted, adding intrigue to the proceedings is the uncertainty over Congress MP Shashi Tharoor's participation. While the Thiruvananthapuram MP led one of the foreign delegations and praised the Centre's handling of the situation abroad, this has created discomfort within the party. Party insiders, nevertheless, suggest a way may be found for him to speak during the debate.

Opposition leaders, including Akhilesh Yadav (SP), Abhishek Banerjee (TMC), Kanimozhi (DMK), Supriya Sule (NCP-SP), and Arvind Sawant (Shiv Sena - UBT), are also likely to participate.

Speaking to reporters earlier last week, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju confirmed that the special debate will begin in the Lok Sabha on July 28 and continue in the Rajya Sabha on July 29, noting that the discussion was requested by the opposition under Rule 193. The government agreed, despite ongoing disruptions over unrelated issues, particularly the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls in Bihar.

Rijiju also noted that every issue cannot be addressed simultaneously, but the Centre is willing to consider a separate debate on the SIR once procedural rules allow. The opposition, however, claims the SIR process is politically motivated to benefit the BJP in the upcoming Bihar elections.

So far, only one bill has been passed in the current session due to persistent opposition protests. On Friday, both Houses were adjourned following uproar over the SIR controversy. Speaker Om Birla met with floor leaders to broker a truce, ultimately facilitating the upcoming debate on national security.

The government’s planned resolution, expected after the debate, will commend the armed forces for their bravery and reaffirm Parliament’s support for decisive action against terrorism.