Speaker Om Birla rebukes Oppn over Op Sindoor debate U-turn, adjourns House till 1 pm

New Delhi, July 28 (IANS) The Lok Sabha convened amid heightened anticipation for the scheduled debate on Operation Sindoor, India’s military response to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir.

The session opened with Krishna Prasad Tenneti in the Chair, who informed members that the adjournment motion had not been admitted. He then invited ministers to lay official papers and reports on the floor of the House.

Among those who tabled documents were Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Jayant Chaudhary, Pankaj Choudhri, Shobha Karandlaje, Raksha Khadse, Sukanta Majumdar, Harsh Malhotra, and Kiren Rijiju. The ministers represented portfolios spanning higher education, finance, MSME, youth affairs, and corporate affairs.

The House also received the tenth report of the Committee on Government Business, dated July 25, outlining the legislative agenda for the week. Under Rule 377 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Lok Sabha, members were allotted a 20-minute window to raise matters of urgent public importance.

This segment, often used to surface constituency-level issues, was expected to reflect a broad spectrum of concerns from across the country. At 12.06 pm, Speaker Om Birla entered the chamber and addressed the escalating disruption over the proposed discussion on Operation Sindoor. He reminded members that the Business Advisory Committee had unanimously agreed to schedule the debate and that opposition leaders had given verbal consent during a meeting in his chamber.

Expressing dismay, Birla noted that some members were now reneging on that commitment.

Opposition MPs, however, continued to raise slogans demanding an immediate discussion not only on Operation Sindoor but also on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar. The phrase “SIR par charcha karo” echoed through the chamber as Speaker Birla repeatedly urged members to adhere to parliamentary procedure.

He asked pointedly whether the House wished to proceed with the debate, emphasising that such discussions must follow the framework laid out by the Business Advisory Committee and not through shouting slogans in the Bell of the House.

Unable to restore order, Birla adjourned the House until 1 p.m.

The backdrop to this tension is the high-stakes debate on Operation Sindoor, India’s calibrated military response to the Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed 26 civilian lives.

Between May 7 and 10, Indian forces targeted nine terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, in what the government has described as a “strong, successful and decisive” operation.

The opposition, led by Congress and INDIA bloc leaders, has demanded accountability for intelligence lapses preceding the attack and clarity on international mediation claims, particularly those made by US President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly asserted that he brokered a ceasefire between India and Pakistan.

The Lok Sabha is slated to hold a 16-hour debate on Operation Sindoor, with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh opening the discussion. Home Minister Amit Shah and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar are expected to present the government’s position, while Rahul Gandhi will lead the opposition’s response. Congress has issued a whip for full attendance, underscoring the political weight of the debate.

--IANS

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