New Delhi, July 21: The Monsoon Session of Parliament is set to begin today on a stormy note with Opposition INDIA bloc gearing to corner Prime Minister Narendra Modi led Centre on several key issues, including Pahalgam terror attack, Operation Sindoor, Bihar Special Intensive Revision (SIR) and Air India (AI) 171 crash.

The opposition is also likely to corner the government on United States President Donald Trump’s repeated claims of brokering peace between India and Pakistan during Operation Sindoor.

This is the first session of Parliament being held after Operation Sindoor, India’s precision strike on terror camps in the aftermath of the deadly Pahalgam terror attack, which killed 26 people. Earlier, the Opposition had demanded that the Centre convene a special session of Parliament in the wake of Operation Sindoor.

The INDIA bloc will demand justice for the victims and question the government’s handling of the attack.

MPs are also expected to raise questions regarding the aviation sector, including on passenger safety, Inspection of 787 Dreamliner aircraft, the safety measures and audits taken up by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

According to the list of business of Lok Sabha, Union Ministers Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Arjun Ram Meghwal, Jayant Chaudhary, Pankaj Chaudhary, Kirti Vardhan Singh, Raksha Khadse and Sukanta Majumdar are set to table papers related to their respective ministries in Lok Sabha.

MP Supriya Sule will present the Report of the Select Committee on the Income-Tax Bill, 2025. She will also lay on the Table, a copy of the record of evidence given before the Select Committee on the Income-Tax Bill, 2025.

As per the list of business, the Readjustment of Representation of Scheduled Tribes in Assembly Constituencies of the State of Goa Bill, 2024 will be moved by Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal for consideration and passing in the Lok Sabha.

The Monsoon Session 2025 has 21 sittings over a period of 32 days.

Tentatively, 17 items of legislative and other business have been identified for being taken up during this session, according to Union Parliamentary Minister Kiren Rijiju.

According to the list of business of Rajya Sabha, Rashtriya Janata Dal RJD) Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Kumar Jha has asked the Union Minister of Civil Aviation regarding the DGCA safety audits and measures undertaken after any safety violations.

The list of business says that Jha has asked the union minister for the number of safety and maintenance inspections conducted by the DGCA in the last three years, the number of irregularities identified during that that, and the action taken against airlines for non-compliance with safety norms.

Jha has also asked any measures undertaken by the government to enhance aviation safety, “in the wake of recent concerns related to aircraft maintenance and operational standards.”
Aam Aadmi Party MP Sandeep Kumar Pathak also raised the question regarding passenger safety in airlines.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Ashokrao Shakarrao Chavan has asked for data on checks and inspections being conducted of all the 787 Dreamliner aircraft, the same model as the AI 171 aircraft.

Parliament will also consider a resolution seeking approval for the extension of President’s Rule in Manipur, which was imposed on February 13, 2025, under Article 356(1) of the Constitution.
Both houses of Parliament will also be doing obituary references for their former members.
The upper house will also give birthday greetings to Rajya Sabha’s Leader of Opposition and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge.

The monsoon session will continue on August 21, with a break from August 12 to August 18. There will be a total of 21 sittings across 32 days.

Thiruvananthapuram, July 21: Amid rising tensions within the Congress party, senior leader and former Union Minister K. Muraleedharan on Sunday declared that Shashi Tharoor would no longer be invited to any party programme in Thiruvananthapuram unless he alters his stance on key national security issues.

His remarks have further exposed the widening rift between Tharoor and the party’s Kerala leadership.

Speaking to reporters, Muraleedharan said, “Till he (Tharoor) changes his stance, we will not invite him to any party programme held in Thiruvananthapuram. He is not with us, so there is no question of him boycotting an event.”

The Congress Working Committee (CWC) member was, according to Muraleedharan, “no longer considered one of us.”

The senior leader’s statement comes at a critical juncture, with the Congress and the INDIA bloc preparing to confront the Modi government in the upcoming Monsoon Session of Parliament.

They are expected to highlight what they term a “security lapse” in the Pahalgam terror attacks and question the outcomes of the government’s high-profile Operation Sindoor.

Tharoor, who had led an all-party delegation to the Americas as part of Operation Sindoor, had earlier said at a public event in Kochi that national interest must come before partisan politics.

“We must always put the country first. Political parties exist to make countries better,” he said.

Tharoor’s position — including expressions of support for the armed forces and the central government on national security — has drawn sharp criticism from within his own party.

“Many have attacked me for putting the nation first. But I will stand my ground because I believe this is the right thing to do for the country,” Tharoor asserted, defending his stand.

However, his remarks have not gone down well with senior Congress leaders, including Muraleedharan, who recently criticised Tharoor for sharing a survey that projected him as the most preferred Chief Ministerial face of the UDF.

“He should first decide which party he belongs to,” Muraleedharan retorted. Adding to the tensions, Tharoor’s recent article criticising the late Indira Gandhi’s handling of the Emergency in a Malayalam daily had also sparked backlash within party ranks.

Calling for clarity, Muraleedharan said, “If he feels constrained within the Congress, he should choose a clear political path.”

The feud has now become a full-blown internal crisis, raising questions about Tharoor’s future in the party and further complicating Congress’s unity efforts in Kerala ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections.

Mumbai, Jul 20: Rajya Sabha MP Gulam Ali Khatana on Sunday called upon the Muslim community to join the national mainstream and actively contribute to India’s developmental journey, describing the present era as the country’s Amrit Kaal.

According to a press release he was speaking at a seminar titled “Viksit Bharat and the Future of Muslims in India” organised by the Positive Thought Foundation at Islam Gymkhana, Mumbai. Khatana said Muslims must reassert their legacy as contributors to India’s growth and knowledge traditions.

“Muslims have historically been problem-solvers and contributors to society. But today, we must ask ourselves: who associated us with backwardness and stereotypes over the last seventy years,” he said, urging the community to shed narratives of victimhood and embrace participation, progress, and purpose.

Highlighting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of inclusive development, Khatana said the government is committed to “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, aur Sabka Prayas.”

Referring to the values practiced during the time of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) , he said, “The spirit of justice, compassion, and civic responsibility must once again be part of our everyday lives. These are the values that shaped civilisations.”

The seminar witnessed participation from scholars, youth, and civil society members. Discussions centred on the role of Indian Muslims in building a modern, progressive, and united Bharat.

Khatana also encouraged Muslim youth to focus on education, entrepreneurship, and civic engagement. “India’s strength lies in its diversity. Our future requires the active involvement of every community,” he said.

The event concluded with a pledge to promote communal harmony, value-based leadership, and collective national progress.

New Delhi, Jul 20: That women were always under-represented in the Lok Sabha is a known fact, but Muslim women members have been a greater rarity with only 18 making it to the Lower House since independence, according to a new book.

And while dynastic politics may not be conducive for democracy to deepen its roots, it has played a positive part in giving chances to Muslim women, with 13 out of the 18 being from political families.

From royalty to a tea vendor-turned-politician’s wife and from a first lady to a Bengali actress, the 18 Muslim women who treaded the hallowed corridors of power in the Lok Sabha are an eclectic mix, with each of them having an interesting backstory, but one common thread — their path to power was always strewn with struggle and hurdles.