NEW DELHI: The upcoming Monsoon session is all set to begin on a stormy note as the main opposition party Congress has decided to question the Government on alleged security lapse in Pahalgam, ceasefire during Operation Sindoor, special intensive revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls in Bihar and crime against women.
This decision was taken in the Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) strategy meeting held on Tuesday evening.
The meeting was presided over by CPP chairperson Sonia Gandhi with the Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi in attendance.
After the meeting, Deputy Leader in Rajya Sabha Pramod Tiwari said that another meeting of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc partners would be held before the Session to coordinate strategies and raise issues collectively in both Houses of Parliament.
Tiwari said that about three months have passed since the Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 people were killed but no one has been traced yet.
“An unprecedented attack had taken place in Pahalgam. We have been seeking a special session to have a discussion on this. We and the people of this country want to know where those terrorists are. Why has no action been taken yet? Who was responsible for the killing of 26 people? Why was no single security personnel present there? Why was the quick response team missing?...Why is Prime Minister Narendra Modi maintaining a mysterious silence on the US president Donald Trump on brokering a ceasefire during Operation Sindoor? He hasn’t responded yet to his claim,” said Tiwari.
The month-long Monsoon session of Parliament is set to begin on July 21.
He further stated that the Congress would also corner the Government on the issue of ‘electoral manipulations’ in elections in states such as Maharashtra, Haryana, and now in Bihar.
The Congress will also raise the issue of rising incidents of crimes against women and Scheduled Castes across the country, particularly in states such as Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Odisha.
“The Congress will raise the demand for the restoration of full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, which has remained pending despite repeated assurances from the Government,” he said.
On the question of the impeachment motion against Allahabad High Court justice Yashwant Verma, who is facing allegations of corruption charges after the discovery of burnt cash from his official residence in Delhi, the Congress leader didn’t give any clear reply. He said that several other issues were also discussed in the meeting.
Earlier in the day, the Congress president, Mallikarjun Kharge, met Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar and said the opposition wants a productive session.
“The Opposition wants a productive Rajya Sabha session from July 21st. For that to happen a number of strategic, political, foreign policy and socio-economic issues that are of great public concern need to be debated and discussed. Today, I called on the Hon'ble Chairman of the Rajya Sabha and had a fruitful conversation,” Kharge wrote on ‘X’.