Both Houses of Parliament witnessed heated exchanges, repeated adjournments and Opposition walkouts on Monday, as the Monsoon Session opened with loud demands for a debate on Operation Sindoor.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who is also the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, alleged that the government was denying him the right to speak. Speaking to reporters outside Parliament after the Lower House was adjourned, Gandhi accused the ruling side of bias.
“Defence Minister and others from the government are allowed to speak, but Opposition leaders are not. I am the Leader of the Opposition, it is my right to speak, but they don’t let me,” Gandhi said.
Taking aim at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Gandhi claimed the Prime Minister “ran out of the House in a second” when the session turned chaotic. “The debate will happen if they allow it, but the issue is that if the government says something, the Opposition must also be given space. We wanted to say just two words but were not allowed,” he added.
Outside Parliament, Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also criticised the ruling benches, saying her brother must be given an opportunity to speak. “If they are ready for discussion, they should let the Leader of the Opposition speak. He has stood up to speak, so he should be allowed,” she said.
The day’s proceedings were marred by repeated disruptions. The Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were both adjourned twice after Opposition MPs demanded an immediate discussion on Operation Sindoor.
In the Lok Sabha, Opposition leaders shouted slogans and gathered in the Well of the House, pressing for an urgent debate. Speaker Om Birla assured that a discussion would take place after Question Hour, but protests continued. When the House reconvened, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju urged the Opposition to raise their demands at the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) meeting scheduled for later in the day.
“The Government is ready to respond to any issue the Speaker agrees to list at the BAC meeting. But raising slogans and disrupting the House on day one is unacceptable,” Rijiju said.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh echoed this view, saying the government was prepared for an extensive debate. “The Government is willing to discuss any topic the Opposition wishes. Whatever time they need, the Government is ready to answer all their questions,” Singh told the House.
Despite assurances, the Opposition benches continued their sloganeering. The Speaker then asked them to “go outside the House for sloganeering” and adjourned proceedings.
In the Rajya Sabha, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge led the Opposition’s offensive, raising concerns over the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor. He also criticised former US President Donald Trump’s repeated claims that he mediated between India and Pakistan.
“I have given notice under Rule 267 regarding the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor. The Pahalgam attack occurred on 22 April and to date, the terrorists have not been caught. All parties extended support to the government. The House must be informed of the developments,” Kharge said.
He added, “US President Trump has claimed 24 times that the ceasefire happened only because of his intervention. This is an insult to our country.”
Responding, BJP President JP Nadda insisted the government was ready for a detailed discussion. “There should be no impression that we are avoiding this debate. There has never been an operation like this, carried out under Prime Minister Modi’s leadership. The government will provide all details,” Nadda said.
As the debate stalled, Opposition members staged a walkout from the Rajya Sabha, while sloganeering continued inside the chamber.
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