New Delhi, July 28: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, one of the party’s most articulate voices in Parliament, has opted out of the much-anticipated debate on ‘Operation Sindoor’ scheduled for discussion on Monday, according to senior party sources.
The Lok Sabha is set to engage in a 16-hour marathon discussion on ‘Operation Sindoor’, India’s military response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. The operation, involving cross-border strikes in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir, has since sparked political, diplomatic, and public debate.
Tharoor’s absence from the speakers’ list has drawn considerable attention, particularly given his prominent role in leading a diplomatic outreach delegation to the United States following the operation. Sources within the Congress revealed that Tharoor was invited to participate but declined for unspecified reasons.
The Congress lineup for the debate includes Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Deputy LoP Gaurav Gogoi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Deepender Hooda, Parineeti Shinde, Shafi Parambil, Manickam Tagore, and Raja Barad. On the government side, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is expected to open the debate, outlining the strategic objectives and outcomes of ‘Operation Sindoor’. He will be flanked by Home Minister Amit Shah and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, who will present the administration’s account of the Pahalgam attack and India’s retaliatory military strategy. BJP MPs Anurag Thakur and Nishikant Dubey are also slated to speak, reinforcing the ruling party’s narrative and highlighting national security priorities.
In response, Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, along with Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and other Opposition members, are preparing to challenge the government’s version of events, demanding greater transparency, accountability, and clarity on the operation’s long-term impact.
The Congress has issued a strict three-day whip to ensure full attendance by its MPs, underlining the importance the party places on this high-stakes debate. Since the Monsoon Session began on July 21, Parliament has seen repeated adjournments over the Opposition’s demand for urgent discussions on issues of national interest — including the Pahalgam attack and the Election Commission’s ongoing SIR exercise in Bihar.
Adding to the political pressure, the Opposition is also demanding that Prime Minister Narendra Modi address comments made by US President Donald Trump, who claimed to have facilitated a “ceasefire” between India and Pakistan in the aftermath of ‘Operation Sindoor’. However, both Houses of Parliament were adjourned till noon following persistent sloganeering and disruptions by Opposition MPs.
IANS