Parliament is set to take up a discussion on the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor early next week, with both the Houses expected to hold a 16-hour debate each, reported PTI.
The government had agreed to a 16-hour discussion in the Lok Sabha during the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) meeting held on Monday.
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 matter.
According to PTI sources, the Lower House will begin the discussion on July 28, with the Rajya Sabha expected to follow a day later, provided there are no disruptions.
Since the start of the Monsoon Session 2025 on Monday, proceedings in both Houses have largely been washed out due to Opposition protests over several issues, particularly the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in poll-bound Bihar. Only a few proceedings have taken place so far.
The Opposition has also criticised the government for not prioritising a discussion on Operation Sindoor and the Pahalgam attack.
PTI sources said the government has not made any commitment regarding the Opposition’s demand for the Prime Minister’s response but pointed to the proposed Parliamentary debate next week, noting that Modi would be back from his four-day foreign visit by then. He left for the trip on Wednesday.
A senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader said the debate on the conflict with Pakistan—following India’s retaliation under Operation Sindoor after the killing of 26 civilians in the Pahalgam terror attack—would have strong national resonance and also draw the attention of 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 decision on whether Modi would speak had not yet been taken.
Congress` Deputy Leader in the Rajya Sabha, Pramod Tiwari, who attended the BAC meeting, stated, “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 following the resignation of Jagdeep Dhankhar as Vice-President on Monday. Dhankhar, who is the ex-officio chairman of the Rajya Sabha, had chaired two consecutive committee meetings day on Monday to finalise the agenda of the House. He called off the second meeting and rescheduled it for Tuesday, citing the absence of Leader of the House in the Rajya Sabha, JP Nadda, and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, who later attributed their absence to official engagements. Dhankhar resigned a few hours later, citing the need to “prioritise health care.”
The BAC comprises representatives of various political parties and is chaired by the respective presiding officers of the two Houses.
The Opposition has also called for debates on other matters, including the Bihar SIR, but the government has not given any assurances on those demands so far.
(With PTI inputs)