Monsoon session from July 21, early announcement irks Opposition

The monsoon session of Parliament will be held from July 21 to August 12, with the government on Wednesday drawing up the schedule for recommendation to President Droupadi Murmu.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju has decided to recommend to the President to convene the session from July 21 to August 12. The decision was taken at a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

The announcement, much ahead of the actual commencement of the session, drew sharp responses from the Congress and TMC.

Both parties said such an early announcement of the session schedule was meant to evade focus on the collective opposition demand to convene a special session to discuss the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, Operation Sindoor and US President Donald Trump's serial claims of mediation in the cessation of hostilities between India and Pakistan.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh today said the session was always announced a few days in advance, perhaps up to one week or 10 days in advance.

"This session has been announced 47 days in advance. Never before in India’s parliamentary history has a session been announced 47 days in advance. There is a continuing demand from the Indian National Congress and the INDIA bloc parties for a special session to discuss the Pahalgam terror attack, the fact that the terrorists have not been brought to justice, and the repeated claims of President Trump: the ‘Narendra ka surrender’. The hyphenation of India and Pakistan, the growing nexus between China and Pakistan, and the failure of our diplomacy and foreign policy are also critical issues."

‘Centre running away from demand’

Jairam Ramesh and Derek O’Brien accuse the Centre of “running away from the opposition’s demand for a special session to discuss Pahalgam terror attack and the events that followed”

Ramesh said these were the real concerns, alongside the revelations (with respect to combat losses) of Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan made in Singapore and not in our own country.

"We are demanding a discussion on these issues now because they are agitating the people of India. Why was Operation Sindoor stopped suddenly after four days? Why did President Trump repeat 12 times in 20 days that the ceasefire happened because of him? These are the questions the PM does not want to answer. We, along with other opposition parties, have been demanding a special session repeatedly. To divert attention from the special session, the government suddenly announces the monsoon session of Parliament. The PM can evade a special session, but he cannot escape the monsoon session," the Congress veteran said.

However, the government through Rijiju noted that every session was a special session for it.

"All important matters can be discussed during the monsoon session. The business advisory committee of both the Houses will take a call on the issues to be discussed," the minister added, with Operation Sindoor set to be discussed along with the impeachment motion against Justice Yashwant Verma, the other major agenda.

The Trinamool Congress also attacked the government for announcing a session when opposition parties have been seeking a special meeting to discuss the Pahalgam attack.

TMC's Rajya Sabha MP Derek O'Brien said, "Parliamentophobia (noun) - My word for the acute condition of a (Modi) government who have a morbid fear of facing Parliament. Running away from a special session."

16 parties sought special session

16 parties, including the Congress, TMC, SP, Shiv Sena (UBT) and RJD, have demanded a special session

Sharad Pawar's NCP SP has not joined the opposition ranks on special session demand; AAP also skipped a key opposition meet on the issue this week