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.

Srinagar, July 28: Here are top headlines of past week from Kashmir and beyond.

Amarnath Yatra crosses mark of 3.77 Lakh pilgrims in 25 days

Over 3.77 lakh people performed the ongoing Amarnath Yatra since it started this year on July 3 as another batch of 1,635 devotees left Jammu for the Valley on Monday.

Officials of the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) said the ‘Chhari Sthapana’ ceremony was held at the Shri Amareshwar Temple inside the Dashnami Akhara Building in Srinagar yesterday.

Doctors will be transferred after every four years: Sakina Itoo

Delegation of MLAs calls on Lieutenant Governor, demands fair probe into killing of youth in Jammu

A delegation of MLAs today called on Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to demand a fair probe into the tragic killing of youth Parvaiz Ahmed in police firing at Nikki Tawi, Jammu.

The delegation comprised MLA Kangan Mian Mehar Ali, MLA Budhal Javed Iqbal Choudhary, and MLA Mahore Er. Khursheed Ahmed.

Need unified political approach for restoration of J-K’s statehood: Ghulam Nabi Azad

Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) chairman Ghulam Nabi Azad has called for a unified political approach for the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood.

Azad also expressed concern over the state of development in Jammu and Kashmir, saying while central projects were progressing, state-level initiatives were “completely halted”.

Yemen’s Houthis say to target ‘all foreign ships’ linked to Israel

Yemen’s Houthi armed group said in a statement that it will begin targeting “all foreign ships linked to Israel… regardless of their destination,” citing retaliation for what it called Israel’s “blockade and starvation” campaign against Gaza.

“This escalation includes targeting all ships belonging to any company that deals with Israeli ports, regardless of their nationality and wherever they may be, within our forces’ reach,” Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said in the statement aired by Houthi-run al-Masirah TV.

The latest child to starve to death in Gaza weighed less than when she was born

A mother pressed a final kiss to what remained of her 5-month-old daughter and wept. Esraa Abu Halib’s baby now weighed less than when she was born.

On a sunny street in shattered Gaza, the bundle containing Zainab Abu Halib represented the latest death from starvation after 21 months of war and Israeli restrictions on aid.

New Delhi, July 28: Both Houses of Parliament were adjourned till noon on Monday following persistent sloganeering and disruptions by Opposition MPs.

The Lok Sabha witnessed particularly tense scenes as Opposition members stormed the Well of the House, raising slogans and throwing pamphlets, prompting Speaker Om Birla to intervene sharply.

As proceedings began, Speaker Birla admonished the protesting MPs, stating, “Honourable Members, do you want to disrupt the House? Do you not want to discuss Operation Sindoor? You said that Operation Sindoor should be discussed. Then why are you not allowing the House to do so?”

He further addressed Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi directly, saying, “Leader of the Opposition, please explain to the members of your party. They have not been sent to throw pamphlets in the House. You want to behave in this manner? The country will see that you personally disrupted the Question Hour, carried placards, threw slips, and raised slogans.”

Despite repeated warnings, the ruckus continued, leading the Speaker to adjourn the House till noon. Similarly, the Rajya Sabha was also adjourned till noon.

The adjournment comes just hours ahead of a significant 16-hour-long debate on ‘Operation Sindoor’, which is expected to be a defining moment of the session, focussing on national security and India’s response to the Pahalgam terror attack.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will initiate the ‘Operation Sindoor’ debate later in the day, presenting the government’s position on the objectives and outcomes of the operation.

He will be joined by Home Minister Amit Shah and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, both of whom are expected to lay out the government’s narrative on the Pahalgam terror strike and India’s subsequent military actions.

Prominent BJP MPs, including Anurag Thakur and Nishikant Dubey, will also be speaking during the session, reinforcing the government’s stand.

On the Opposition Benches, Congress MP and LoP Rahul Gandhi and Rajya Sabha LoP Mallikarjun Kharge are expected to lead the counter-narrative.

They will be joined by Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and several other Opposition leaders. All of whom are likely to question the transparency, execution, and impact of the operation.

Recognising the weight of the debate, the Congress party has issued a three-day whip to all its Lok Sabha MPs, mandating their presence in the House.

New Delhi, July 28: When Pakistan crossed the red lines drawn by India, terror camps faced the fire, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said on Monday as the Lok Sabha takes up the discussion on Operation Sindoor.

“Discussion on #OperationSindoor to begin today… When Ravan crossed the Laxman Rekha, Lanka burned. When Pakistan crossed the red lines drawn by India, terrorist camps faced the fire,” Rijiju said in a post on X.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is set to initiate the “special discussion on India’s strong, successful and decisive ‘Operation Sindoor’ in response to the terror attack in Pahalgam”.

An aggressive opposition is expected to corner the government over US President Donald Trump’s claims that he mediated to avert a nuclear war between India and Pakistan, and got them to agree on a “ceasefire”.

India has made it clear that the cessation of firing and military activity targeted at Pakistan was paused after “direct contact” between the directors general of military operations (DGMOs) of both nations, at the instance of Islamabad.