Shashi Tharoor Opts Out of Operation Sindoor Debate
In a moment that was as much about smiles and rumors as anything else, senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor countered the reporters with the phrase "maunvrat, maunvrat", a promise of silence, as he was surrounded by them on Monday morning amidst speculation that he could be left out of the list of party speakers for the high-riding debate on the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor.
Tharoor's action came hours before the beginning of what could be a marathon 16-hour debate across both Houses of Parliament in the Monsoon Session. The Congress whip has ordered all its Lok Sabha MPs to be present in the House for three straight days from Monday.
As mystery surrounded Tharoor's exclusion, Congress sources made it clear that the Thiruvananthapuram MP himself had refused to address the debate. He was said to have informed the party leadership of his decision, citing other commitments. What's more, Tharoor had only recently headed an all-party delegation to the United States, and his non-inclusion in the list of speakers further contributes to speculation regarding his troubled relationship with the party leadership.
The Congress list of Lok Sabha speakers features some heavyweights:
Tharoor's ties with the Congress high command have continued to be strained ever since he became part of the G-23 rebel bloc in 2021, which questioned publicly the Gandhis' leadership after several electoral losses. His subdued public profile during key party times continues to generate speculation regarding a likely drift from the central leadership group.
On the ruling party side, the NDA will deploy its senior ministers. Reports indicate that the BJP speaker list will comprise Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar. Strong speculation is that Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself will also intervene at some strategic point in the debate to affirm the government's hard line against terrorism.
Weighing in rhetorically, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju quoted the Ramayana in a post on X (formerly Twitter), "When Ravan stepped across the Laxman Rekha, Lanka went up in flames. When Pakistan exceeded the red lines set by India, the terrorist camps saw the fire!"
In spite of preparations, the Lok Sabha was adjourned soon after it met at 11 am due to vociferous protests by opposition MPs over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar. The first week of the Monsoon Session, which started on July 21, has been marked by constant disruptions and hence, important debates such as Operation Sindoor remained pending till now.
