As Parliament gears up for a high-stakes debate on the Pahalgam terror attack and the government-led Operation Sindoor, a cloud of speculation surrounds whether senior Congress MP Shashi Tharoor will participate in the discussion.
When asked by reporters outside Parliament on Monday about his possible participation in the debate, Tharoor offered a cryptic two-word response: “Maunvrat, Maunvrat.” He did not elaborate or take any further questions.
The comments come when one of the key talking points in political circles is whether Tharoor, who had recently led a parliamentary outreach delegation to the United States and other countries, will be fielded by the Congress to speak during the debate.
The Thiruvananthapuram MP's complicated relationship with the Congress party in recent times have only fueled the suspense further. Tharoor's apparent support for the government’s swift response to the Pahalgam attack had reportedly led to friction within party ranks.
{{/usCountry}}The Thiruvananthapuram MP's complicated relationship with the Congress party in recent times have only fueled the suspense further. Tharoor's apparent support for the government’s swift response to the Pahalgam attack had reportedly led to friction within party ranks.
{{/usCountry}}The Congress leadership has not yet confirmed whether Tharoor will be among the designated speakers.
The Monsoon session, which witnessed repeated disruptions during its first week, is expected to shift gears Monday with a focused debate on national security and foreign policy concerns. The session that began at 11 AM, saw temporary adjournment minutes later amid ruckus by Opposition party MPs.
As the Congress gears up to confront the BJP-led central government over Operation Sindoor, the party has reiterated its demand that Prime Minister Narendra Modi must be present in Parliament when the issue of ‘Pahalgam-Operation Sindoor’ is taken up for discussion.
The grand old party has been pressing for a full-fledged debate on the matter since the monsoon session began last week. Congress general secretary in-charge of communications, Jairam Ramesh, criticised the Prime Minister's foreign travel schedule and accused him of ignoring pressing domestic concerns.
“48 hours later, the Super Premium Frequent Flyer will start yet another foreign visit and the people of Manipur will have more cause for disappointment,” Ramesh said, referring to Modi’s planned trip abroad.
Prime Minister Modi recently returned from a four-day visit to the United Kingdom and the Maldives, where he concluded a significant free trade agreement with the UK.
Last week, taking a swipe on social media platform X, Ramesh wrote, “Very shortly the nattily dressed Prime Minister will give his usual Desh ke Naam Sandesh through the media outside the Parliament Building before the commencement of the Monsoon Session of Parliament. This will be full of his usual platitudes and hypocrisy.”
Ramesh further added, “Prime Minister Modi is very, very, very rarely present in Parliament. He speaks once a year on the Motion of Thanks to the President's Address. But this time he owes it to the country to be present when the issue of Pahalgam-Operation Sindoor-President Trump is finally taken up for discussion.”