 "Operation Sindoor Sparks Political Firestorm In Parliament: MPs Torn Between Praise And Panic Over Nuclear Target Hit")
Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh speaks on Operation Sindoor in Lok Sabha during the Monsoon Session of Parliament, in New Delhi on Monday. (Sansad TV/ANI Video Grab) New Delhi: The hallowed halls of Parliament reverberated with rare unity on Monday as lawmakers across party lines rose to applaud the Indian armed forces for the stunning success of Operation Sindoor, the military mission that neutralised Pakistan’s Kirana Hills nuclear complex.
The debate, which unfolded over five hours, turned into a powerful display of national pride, strategic clarity and emotional tributes to the soldiers behind the mission.
When External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar rose to address MPs, few anticipated the emotional and ideological fault lines that would crack wide open within minutes.
What was supposed to be a quiet briefing on foreign policy developments transformed into a theatre of praise, protest and political jousting. Ministers celebrated India’s growing strategic confidence, while Opposition parties demanded accountability, raised fears of escalation and questioned the timing of the disclosure.
Here’s a detailed look at how the debate unfolded and what it reveals about India’s internal divisions over the risks and rewards of shadow warfare.
The day began with Jaishankar making a restrained but firm statement that set the tone. “India will continue to protect its national interests in a manner we deem fit. The government will not allow the security of the nation to be compromised,” he said.
Devoid of operational detail, his declaration was enough to draw thunderous applause from the treasury benches and a volley of questions from the Opposition.
First to rise in protest was AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi, who questioned the legality of the move and the government’s secrecy around it.
“If the government has carried out strikes inside Pakistani territory, has it informed the United Nations? Has it taken the nation into confidence? This cannot be a secretive affair in a democracy,” he said.
Owaisi further called for a white paper, saying, “We cannot become a rogue democracy. The Indian people have a right to know the full extent of what has been done in their name.”
His comments triggered uproar on the BJP benches, with multiple MPs shouting back, but Owaisi stood his ground.
Soon after, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi stood up. His tone was measured but probing, echoing concerns raised by Owaisi, albeit in softer terms.
“No one questions the bravery of our armed forces. But the government must tell us: was this operation discussed in the Cabinet Committee on Security? Or was it a unilateral call? Parliament deserves answers,” he said.
Gandhi’s intervention drew applause from Congress MPs and seemed to resonate with MPs from the Left and several regional parties. The crux of his argument was strategic action must not bypass democratic consultation.
Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra brought in a new angle that the potential for retaliation and long-term regional fallout.
“You cannot clap with one hand. What happens if Pakistan retaliates? Are we prepared for a full-scale escalation? What is our diplomatic roadmap after this?” she asked.
Her statement was both a warning and a challenge to the government’s crisis management credentials. She accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party of reducing national security to a “PR exercise”, adding that Parliament had the right to question actions that could spiral into war.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh took the floor in what appeared to be a coordinated counter-offensive by the government.
“The operation was necessary. It was successful. We should be proud, not critical. Those who are raising doubts are giving voice to our enemies,” he said.
He accused the Opposition of playing into Pakistan’s hands and insisted that “India is capable of protecting its people without waiting for permission from any global body”.
His words drew standing applause from BJP MPs, several of whom raised chants of “Bharat Mata ki Jai”.
BJP MP Tejasvi Surya, one of the youngest MPs in the House, used the moment to celebrate India’s assertive new defence posture.
“Operation Sindoor is a masterstroke. This is the new India — one that strikes back and does not apologise for defending its sovereignty,” he said.
He also took a dig at Opposition parties, accusing them of “sulking when India wins”.
“Our soldiers did not just carry out an operation. They sent a message: India is not afraid,” he said.
DMK’s Kanimozhi brought a more philosophical critique to the table.
“We support national security. But covert actions must be backed by a constitutional process and democratic transparency. Otherwise, we are no different from the regimes we criticize,” she said.
She said her party respected the armed forces, but that the absence of democratic deliberation risked turning India into a “security state” rather than a democracy.
Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav raised suspicions over the timing of the government’s disclosure about Operation Sindoor.
“Why is this operation being revealed now? Is it to divert from unemployment, inflation or the Manipur issue? The government must answer,” he said.
His statement was met with loud protests from BJP MPs, but Yadav pushed on, warning against using national security for “election-time optics”.
JD(U)’s Rajiv Ranjan Singh (Lalan Singh), a key ally of the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA), offered a balancing act.
“Yes, it is a proud moment. But let us ensure such actions are not repeated unnecessarily. Diplomacy must not die,” he said.
His comment was significant for its implicit caution to the BJP, suggesting that while NDA allies support decisive action, they remain wary of long-term implications.
Finally, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor urged for nuance in both action and communication.
“Strategic strikes must be backed by strategic communication. We must lead with strength, but also with wisdom. We cannot celebrate covert strikes like cricket wins,” he said.
Tharoor warned against “militarising public discourse” and reminded Parliament that national security should not become a “TV spectacle”.
As tensions reached a crescendo and the Speaker called for order, Jaishankar addressed a press briefing outside Parliament, repeating what he had said earlier with slight elaboration.
“We cannot reveal operational details. But the operation was proportionate, precise and pre-emptive. We stand by it,” he said.
He refused to confirm whether the strike targeted Pakistan’s nuclear infrastructure, saying only, “We neutralised a threat. That was the objective.”
In a closed-door briefing to MPs earlier, Singh revealed that the Kirana Hills site, located in Punjab province of Pakistan, had been under discreet Indian satellite and radar surveillance for over a year. The mission reportedly involved a blend of cyber-jamming, drone swarm deployment and a precision-guided missile strike launched from an undisclosed location in Rajasthan.
“This was India’s answer to hybrid threats. It was as much a signal to Islamabad as it was to Beijing,” said retired General S.S. Panag, who was present in the Parliament gallery as an observer.
Perhaps the most moving moment came when the Speaker paused proceedings to recognize Anuradha Sen, mother of Captain Neel Sen, one of the strike’s key coordinators. Her eyes welled up as MPs across party lines stood to applaud her son’s role.
“My son is alive, but today I felt like the mother of every soldier who might not come back. I thank my nation for honouring them while they still live,” she told reporters outside Parliament.
MPs from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Congress and regional parties urged the government to recommend the team behind Operation Sindoor for the highest gallantry medals.
Shiv Sena’s Arvind Sawant even proposed that the next Republic Day tableau “should be built around this mission so every Indian knows what was done in silence for their safety”.
Minister Singh closed the debate by saying, “Operation Sindoor was born of quiet courage, calibrated anger and a refusal to allow future wars to be fought on our soil. We struck preemptively, not out of arrogance, but out of responsibility.”
The session ended with two adjournments, multiple walkouts and a formal request by the Opposition for a closed-door briefing to the Parliamentary Committee on Defence, a request the government has yet to act on.
Whether Operation Sindoor becomes a defining moment in India’s security doctrine or a controversial footnote in electoral politics may depend not just on what was done, but on how it was told.
For now, Parliament remains split between a government asserting strength and an Opposition demanding answers.
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