The BJP-led NDA government seems to be keen to make the Monsoon Session of Parliament, starting on July 21, heavy with its legislative agenda, but the Opposition is set to corner the government over multiple issues, ranging from the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor to US President Donald Trump’s claim of brokering the India-Pakistan ceasefire, to the Election Commission (EC)’s ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in poll-bound Bihar.
In its tentative list of key business for the month-long session, the government has lined up eight new Bills besides aiming to push the pending Income Tax Bill through.
“The government has a heavy legislative agenda, but the session will be dominated by the SIR exercise in Bihar, Operation Sindoor and Ahmedabad air crash probe,” admitted a source from the Treasury benches.
The Opposition has alleged that the controversial SIR exercise, which has spread confusion and panic among a large section of people in Bihar, is “unconstitutional” and that it could disenfranchise many voters, especially those belonging to the underprivileged, marginalised and minority communities.
The April 22 Pahalgam attack on tourists, which killed 26 people, is going to be a major issue the Opposition will raise in both the Houses in a bid to seek the government’s response on alleged security lapses leading to the terror strike. The Opposition INDIA bloc had earlier written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to demand a special Parliament session to “discuss the developments following the terror attack in Pahalgam”, but the government instead announced the Monsoon Session.
The Opposition parties have already kicked off their meetings to work out strategies in order to put the government on the mat over a host of burning issues. Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi held a meeting of the party’s parliamentary strategy group Tuesday, which was attended by party chief and Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge and LoP in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, among other leaders.
The BJP camp has however maintained that it would not shy away from any discussion in Parliament. “The government never shied away from discussions in Parliament. The Prime Minister always believes in debates because he believes that it’s the strength of our vibrant democracy. In the past too, we were always open to all debates. We expect the Opposition not to walk out but to participate in discussions instead of running away,” BJP leader and Lok Sabha MP Anurag Thakur said. “It’s a month-long session. There are important issues to be discussed — natural disasters, Ahmedabad plane crash along with important Bills like Sports Bill.”
Parliament is also expected to take up the issue of impeachment of Justice Yashwant Varma, from whose Delhi residence stacks of currency notes were allegedly recovered. An inquiry committee will be set up by the presiding officer of the House concerned to probe charges against Justice Varma, whose timeline for submitting its report will be crunched from three months, sources said.
The Opposition has also submitted an impeachment notice against Allahabad High Court judge Justice Shekhar Kumar Yadav over his alleged communal remarks. While the Treasury benches are keen to evolve a consensus among all parties for the removal of Justice Varma, they do not agree with the Opposition in the case of Justice Yadav. Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar is expected to give a ruling on the Opposition’s notice against Justice Yadav.
The Congress made it clear that it would go all out to target the government on various issues in the House. Senior Congress leader Manish Tiwari said: “The focus of the session should be on the SIR being undertaken by the EC. It cannot be allowed to become an instrument of disenfranchising a section of the citizens of this country. For, it constitutes a basic and fundamental threat to the very edifice of democracy. In fact, there should be a broader, structured discussion on the functioning and performance of the EC, especially keeping in view its unsatisfactory answer to concrete and evidenced averments made (by the Opposition) over the padding of voters’ list in different parts of the country.”
Senior Congress MP in the Lok Sabha, Kodikunnil Suresh, said: “Now with Jammu and Kashmir L-G Manoj Sinha saying the Pahalgam attack was undoubtedly a security failure, let the government explain. There will be questions on reports about India losing aircraft during Operation Sindoor. The Opposition benches also have serious concerns over the SIR exercise.”
With the government set to extend President’s rule in Manipur during the session – President’s rule was imposed in Manipur on February 13, which has to be approved by Parliament every six months – the Opposition is looking to ask it “tough questions” over the state’s law and order situation.
The Opposition has castigated PM Modi for not visiting Manipur since May 2023 when ethnic clashes broke out in the state. Modi’s last visit to the state was in February 2022, when he had campaigned for the Assembly elections. Last week, when PM Modi returned from his five-nation tour, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh raked up the row, saying the PM should now find time to visit Manipur where people have been waiting for him for two years.
A government source said, “Now that President’s rule is completing six months in Manipur, the Opposition will have questions over the state of affairs there. There have been signs of improvement. There have been talks about the Prime Minister visiting the state, which can happen soon also, but no final decision has been taken.”
BJP sources said there was also “pressure” from the RSS over the Manipur issue. In June last year, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat had expressed concern over peace eluding Manipur even after one year and said the situation in the strife-torn state must be considered with priority. Earlier this month, the RSS said it was engaged in bringing the Meitei and Kuki groups together and that a solution to the ethnic conflict in the state “will be found”. Sources said the “message was clear” for the government about the RSS’ uneasiness over the Manipur situation.
During the session, the government is likely to introduce eight new bills including the National Sports Governance Bill, 2025, Manipur Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill 2025, National Anti-Doping (Amendment) Bill, 2025, Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2025, Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2025, Taxation Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2025, and Geoheritage Sites and Geo-relics (Preservation and Maintenance) Bill, 2025.
The Monsoon Session, which was initially scheduled to end on August 13, has been extended till August 21.
The Lok Sabha Select Committee on the new Income Tax Bill, headed by BJP MP Baijayant Panda, is likely to submit its report in the first week of the session. The government may consider the panel’s recommendation and return to the House with the amended Bill approved by the Cabinet. Sources said the government expects the Bill to be cleared in this session itself.