Parliament Monsoon session: Op Sindoor, Pahalgam attack, Trump’s mediation claims, Bihar SIR in focus

The Monsoon session of the Indian Parliament, commencing today, is anticipated to be contentious as the INDIA bloc, comprising 24 opposition parties, prepares to challenge the government on a range of issues. Chief among these are the Pahalgam attack, US President Donald Trump's claims of brokering a ceasefire with Pakistan, and the special revision of electoral rolls in Bihar, which the opposition alleges "threatens people's voting rights."

At an online meeting on Saturday, opposition leaders resolved to bring these and other significant matters to the forefront. Pramod Tiwari, Congress' deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha, stated, "We discussed the strategy on how we should raise the atrocities and failures of this government that is affecting the people. I am happy to inform that leaders of all 24 parties participated in the meeting."

The opposition's agenda includes highlighting "failure" in foreign policy, "atrocities" in Gaza, and "targeting" of SCs/STs, women, and minorities.

The bloc will emphasise the government's "inaction" and "silence" on the Pahalgam attack, after which the terrorists remained at large. Tiwari asserted, "All leaders have expressed concern that all the terrorists behind the attack are free and no action has been taken against them despite so many days having passed since April 22." This session marks the first convening since the attack, and the opposition expects concrete responses from the government.

The electoral roll revisions in Bihar, described as a threat to democratic rights by the bloc, will also be brought up. Tiwari remarked, "There is a threat to the voting rights of people under the 'undeclared Emergency' that is prevalent in the country," highlighting the opposition's belief in a broader effort to disenfranchise voters. The issue has been termed "vote-bandi" following the "note-bandi" or demonetisation exercise.

Additionally, the INDIA bloc is poised to address the claim by US President Trump of facilitating a ceasefire during India-Pakistan hostilities. This assertion has been repeated 24 times, alleging it was achieved by trade threats, a claim the opposition seeks to scrutinise in Parliament.

The impeachment of Justice Yashwant Varma, related to allegations following a discovery of cash at his residence, is another matter that is expected to be discussed. This matter could unite both government and opposition members, illustrating rare consensus across the political divide.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to outline the government's agenda, including the introduction of 17 bills, such as those on taxation and national anti-doping amendments, at the end of the agenda.

Tiwari reiterated, "We would want Parliament to function so that we raise the issues and the government answers”.