Centre agrees to hold 'special discussion' on Op Sindoor on July 28 in Lok Sabha

Discussion in Rajya Sabha will be held a day later

New Delhi: A “special discussion” on Operation Sindoor will start in Lok Sabha on Monday and in Rajya Sabha a day later, with MPs in both Houses allocated 16 hours each to deliberate on the military operations against terror infrastructure in Pakistan following Pahalgam terror attack and subsequent developments.

The government managers told members of Rajya Sabha BAC that they want to schedule the debate in Rajya Sabha on Tuesday because it enables Prime Minister Narendra Modi to be present when the debate starts in both Houses, sources said after Rajya Sabha Business Advisory Committee (BAC) meeting on Wednesday. The Lok Sabha BAC had met earlier this week.

The meeting, which was chaired by Deputy Chairman Harivansh, came after four postponements since Monday and after the dramatic resignation of Jagdeep Dhankhar, who was the Upper House Chairman, as Vice President.

The meeting was first called by Dhankhar on Monday 1 pm but it remained inconclusive and rescheduled to meet at 4:30 pm and again to Tuesday 1 pm.

However, the 1 pm meeting on Tuesday, to be chaired by Deputy Chairman Harivansh in the absence of Dhankhar, was rescheduled to 5:30 pm. But, late afternoon, the meeting was postponed to Wednesday 12:30 pm.

At the meeting, sources said Congress’ Jairam Ramesh suggested that they could accord a farewell to Dhankhar, when a suggestion for farewell for retiring MPs on Thursday was made. Though the BJP was supportive of allowing retiring MPs to make their farewell speeches, a senior BJP leader said that there is “no opportunity left to give Dhankhar a farewell” as he has quit.

At the meeting, sources said the Opposition also made it clear that the debate on Operation Sindoor should not be on a motion or a resolution and the government informed that it would be a special discussion.

Opposition's demand came as Dhankhar had admitted a notice of BJP MP Samik Bhattacharya under Rule 167 with a motion urging the government to set up a permanent Parliamentary mechanism to support international engagement during national security operations. Congress and Trinamool Congress insisted that the debate should not be on a resolution and was supported by DMK and AAP, as they wanted an unrestricted discussion.

Trinamool Congress' Derek O'Brien asked the government managers why they could not start the debate on Thursday 11 am, to which he was informed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is presently on an official visit abroad, cannot be present during the week.

At this, sources said, AAP's Sanjay Singh said that the government could then schedule a discussion on Special Intensive Revision on electoral rolls in Bihar. However, sources said, the government indicated that it is not in favour of such a debate.

O'Brien, sources said, also demanded that the government take up one each short duration discussion and call attention motions every week on subjects suggested by the Opposition.

After the meeting, O'Brien said, "Why is the government delaying a discussion. Parliament is being disrupted because the Prime Minister is in England and he does not want to run Parliament."