The Monsoon session of Parliament began Monday with heated exchanges and repeated adjournments as opposition MPs demanded a discussion on US President Donald Trump’s claims concerning ‘Operation Sindoor’.
Opposition members sought a detailed debate on Trump’s statement that he had brokered a peace deal between India and Pakistan, triggering uproar in both Houses. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, meanwhile, praised India’s military strength and described the session as an occasion for “Vijayotswa”.
Proceedings opened with tributes to the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack and the Air India AI-171 plane crash.
Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu informed the House that India is handling a damaged black box on its own for the first time, with the investigation being conducted according to international protocols.
In the Lok Sabha, the first sitting was adjourned within 20 minutes as opposition MPs raised slogans of “PM Modi jawab do”, demanding the prime minister’s response to Trump’s claims. Speaker Om Birla assured the House that a discussion would be allowed after Question Hour, but repeated disruptions forced adjournments.
“You should give notice, and whatever the issue is, it will be discussed after Question Hour,” Birla said. “The House should function on the first day, and there should be a good discussion. I will give proper time and opportunity to every MP.”
In the Rajya Sabha, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge took on BJP president JP Nadda, questioning the government over the Pahalgam attack, which he called an “intelligence failure”.
“The Pahalgam terrorist attack took place on 22 April, and the terrorists responsible have neither been apprehended nor eliminated to date,” Kharge said.
“A lapse occurred in Pahalgam, a fact acknowledged by none other than Jammu and Kashmir’s LG Manoj Sinha. The CDS, the Deputy Chief of the Army, and another army officer have also made significant disclosures in this regard. We demand that the statements made by the government regarding the Pahalgam terrorist attack and Operation Sindoor be presented in the House as well. Furthermore, the government should clarify its stance on the statement made by US President Trump, as he has claimed not once but 24 times that he facilitated a ceasefire. This is a humiliating matter for the country.”
Countering Kharge, leader of the House, JP Nadda said the government was ready to share all details about Operation Sindoor.
“There has never been such an operation, the kind we did under the leadership of PM Modi,” Nadda said. “The Indian government is ready in all possible ways to talk in detail about Operation Sindoor.”
The heated exchange led to the adjournment of the Upper House till noon.
After proceedings resumed, Civil Aviation Minister Naidu briefed the Rajya Sabha on the Air India crash in Ahmedabad, which claimed 260 lives. He stressed that the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau was conducting the inquiry independently and without bias.
“If you look at the preliminary report, you’ll see that in the past, whenever a black box was even slightly damaged, we would send it abroad,” Naidu said.
“However, for the first time, India has taken a stand to handle it independently. To reach a definitive conclusion, we must wait for the final report. The AAIB follows a thorough, rule-based process and is completely unbiased. While many questions may arise and the Western media may push their own narratives, our approach is grounded in facts. We are committed to standing by the truth and uncovering exactly what happened.”
Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, accused the ruling party of blocking his right to speak.
“The question is — the defence minister is allowed to speak in the House, but opposition members, including me, who is the LoP, are not allowed to speak,” Rahul Gandhi said. “This is a new approach. The convention states that if people from the government side can speak, then we should also be given space to speak,” he added.
Opposition MPs, including Randeep Surjewala, Manickam Tagore, Renuka Chowdhury and Sandosh Kumar P, submitted suspension of business notices under Rule 267 to discuss the Pahalgam attack and Operation Sindoor. Rule 267 allows any member, with the consent of the Chairman, to move for suspension of a rule to discuss urgent matters.
As the session continues, the standoff between the government and the opposition is expected to remain intense, with Operation Sindoor likely to dominate the coming days.
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