The Centre has scheduled the Monsoon Session of Parliament from July 21 to August 12, brushing aside opposition demands for a special session to discuss the Pahalgam terror attack and the subsequent Operation Sindoor. This decision has ignited criticism from political rivals who accuse the government of evading accountability and transparency on national security issues.
Dates Finalized by Cabinet Committee
After a three-month legislative break, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju announced on Wednesday that both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha will convene from July 21. The proposal, decided by the Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs, is set to be forwarded to President Droupadi Murmu for formal approval.
Kiren Rijiju emphasized that all significant matters can be taken up in the upcoming Monsoon Session, stating, “Every session is a special session for us.” This remark came in response to mounting calls for a dedicated debate on the Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives and prompted a high-level counter-terrorism operation, code-named Operation Sindoor.
Opposition Urges Special Debate, Gets Rebuffed
The Congress, leading the INDIA bloc, has been vocal about its demand for a separate special session to discuss the April 22 Pahalgam attack and subsequent developments. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, along with senior leaders Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, and TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee, submitted a formal request through a jointly signed letter. Kharge reiterated this demand on social media platform X, underlining the “urgent need” to address the matter in Parliament.
However, the government maintained its stance, asserting that all issues, including matters of national importance, can be accommodated within the regular session framework.
TMC’s Derek O’Brien criticized the Centre’s refusal, coining the term “Parliamentophobia” to describe what he alleged was the Modi government’s reluctance to face scrutiny. “Parliamentophobia (noun). My word for the acute condition of a (Modi) government who have a morbid fear of facing Parliament,” he posted, calling it an escape from democratic debate.
The Monsoon Session is expected to witness intense exchanges as the opposition gears up to spotlight national security lapses, governance accountability, and post-attack response — all within the formal boundaries of a regular session, not a dedicated one as they had demanded.
