The Monsoon Session of Parliament is set to begin on Monday, July 21, and will run till August 21 with 21 sittings scheduled. At the all-party meeting held Sunday, the Centre said it was open to discussions on all issues, including Operation Sindoor, which has sparked controversy after claims by former U.S. President Donald Trump. However, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said any debate must follow the “rules and conventions” of Parliament.
“We are very open to a discussion on important issues like Operation Sindoor. These are issues of great national importance. The government is not shying away and will never shy away,”.Kiren Rijiju told reporters after the meeting. “But niyam (rules) and parampara (conventions) are important,” he added.
The Opposition, however, insisted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi must personally respond to Trump’s claims that he brokered peace between India and Pakistan, and also address the Pahalgam terror attack and the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar.
Congress reiterated its demand that the Prime Minister speak in Parliament on these key national issues. “We hope that the PM will fulfil his moral duty,” said Gaurav Gogoi, Deputy Leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha. “If the government fails to answer the questions about the SIR and the Election Commission, it will cast a shadow of doubt on the fairness of the poll process and future elections,” he warned.
Rijiju responded by saying that while the Prime Minister remains present in Parliament unless on foreign travel, he may not always be in the House itself. He emphasised that Cabinet Ministers would be available to respond to matters related to their portfolios.
The Monsoon Session is expected to be contentious, with the INDIA bloc and other Opposition parties planning to press the government hard on foreign policy, the Pahalgam attack, electoral transparency in Bihar, and women’s safety, specially in light of recent incidents in Odisha.
The government has drawn up an extensive legislative list. Seven pending bills are up for consideration and passing, including the Income Tax Bill, which seeks to replace the Income Tax Act, 1961. A report from the Lok Sabha Select Committee on the Bill will be tabled on the first day of the session.
Another eight bills are slated for introduction, consideration and passing, among them:
- The Coastal Shipping Bill, 2024
- The Carriage of Goods by Sea Bill, 2024
- The Merchant Shipping Bill, 2024
- The Indian Ports Bill, 2025
- The Readjustment of Representation of Scheduled Tribes in Goa Bill, 2024
- The Manipur GST (Amendment) Bill, 2025
- The Geoheritage Sites and Geo-relics (Preservation) Bill, 2025
- The National Sports Governance Bill, 2025
- The National Anti-Doping (Amendment) Bill, 2025
Other significant bills include the Jan Vishwas (Amendment) Bill, the Taxation Laws (Amendment) Bill, and amendments to the Indian Institutes of Management Act and the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act.
The session will also see the discussion and voting on Demands for Grants for Manipur for the financial year 2025–26, followed by the passage of the related Appropriation Bill.
A resolution will be brought forward to extend President’s Rule in Manipur, first imposed through a Presidential Proclamation on 13 February 2025 under Article 356 of the Constitution.
Kiren Rijiju revealed that over 100 MPs have signed a notice to bring a motion in the Lok Sabha for the removal of Justice Yashwant Varma, currently serving in the Allahabad High Court. The move has reportedly crossed the threshold required to begin the impeachment process.
