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‘PM Must Answer’: Oppn Trains Guns On Centre Over Pahalgam, Trump Remarks – Who Said What At All-Party Meet
ABP Live News | July 20, 2025 7:11 PM CST

With Parliament’s Monsoon Session set to commence, political temperature rose on Sunday as leaders from across the spectrum met for an all-party meeting to outline key issues for discussion. The opposition, especially parties from the INDIA bloc, demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi address the House on the recent Pahalgam terror attack, claims by US President Donald Trump regarding Operation Sindoor, and irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls in Bihar.

Pahalgam Attack, Operation Sindoor Among Key Opposition Concerns

CPI General Secretary D Raja confirmed that the INDIA bloc had recently convened virtually and decided to make the Pahalgam terror attack and foreign policy the central focus of their agenda during the session. “We demand that the Prime Minister come to the House and speak on this issue,” he told news agency PTI.

National Conference MP Altaaf Hussain told PTI, "I raised the issues of Jammu and Kashmir. Post Pahalgam terrorist attack, the current situation of Jammu and Kashmir is not as it is being shown to the people of the country. I asked the government to ensure that innocent locals are not bothered."

Echoing similar sentiments, CPI(M) leader John Brittas also insisted on a statement from the Prime Minister regarding Trump’s comments on Operation Sindoor and the developments in Pahalgam.

Congress MP Pramod Tiwari pointed to rising atrocities against Scheduled Castes and women, alongside the issues of Operation Sindoor and Bihar Voter roll revision, and said the party would raise them forcefully in Parliament.

Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi too sought a formal statement from PM Modi. “It is incumbent on PM Modi to give a statement in Parliament on key issues raised by his party,” he told reporters after the meeting, as reported by PTI.

CPI MP P Sandosh Kumar criticised the government’s “cool” response to the demands. “No offer, nothing… I don’t think the government is going to respond positively,” he remarked, adding that the Prime Minister must clarify the situation post-Pahalgam.

Speaking to ANI, Congress MP Manish Tewari raised Trump's recent statement that five jets were shot down in the recent India-Pakistan conflict, "Ultimately, if President Trump says that 5 jets have been downed, then he should provide the empirical basis of that information. Also, which country did those jets belong to because on the face of it, it's a very bold statement that he has made...We were in a conflict situation with Pakistan. We were responding to a terror attack. India carried out precision strikes on designated hideouts and training centres. So, we acted in self-defence. If President Trump says that 5 military jets were shot down during that conflict, it is for President Trump to tell the world which country those jets belonged to."

He added, "There is a Parliament session which is starting tomorrow. All these things will be discussed in great detail. There is also the China question; there is also the question of the sanctions which the EU has imposed on certain refineries in India where Russia has a very huge stake. So, there is a whole series of questions connected to both foreign policy in our neighbourhood as well as our strategic and tactical doctrines. So, all this will be raised during the Parliament session."

Bihar Voter Roll Revision, Bulldozer Action & Air India Crash Also Raised

AAP MP Sanjay Singh raised a series of issues, including the bulldozer demolition at Delhi’s Madrasi Camp, the SIR controversy in Bihar, and the ongoing blame game involving pilots in the Ahmedabad Air India crash. He also demanded clarification from the government on Trump’s controversial claims about jets being shot down during the India-Pakistan conflict.

Responding to a question about the INDIA bloc, Singh said the alliance was meant solely for the Lok Sabha elections, and that AAP would contest assembly polls independently.

JD(U) National Working President Sanjay Kumar Jha expressed the party's support for the Bihar voter roll revision. He said, "Our party believes that every citizen must have voting rights. We also launched a campaign to raise awareness, and we have a report that people do not have any issue with this (Bihar SIR). If there is any issue, we will meet the Election Commission..."

Mahua Maji of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha drew attention to the delay in implementing the Women’s Reservation Bill in Jharkhand, stating, “We women are very excited about the Women’s Reservation Bill, but when will this happen? We are still not sure if in the 2029 election, all the formalities of the government will be complete in this regard…”

Rashtriya Loktantrik Party MP Hanuman Beniwal expressed concerns over the lack of time allotted to smaller parties in Parliament. “They do not give enough time to small parties… The paper leak incidents, the rise in drug menace, online gaming and unemployment – we have raised all important issues,” he said.

BJD MP Sasmit Patra, in a post on X (formerly Twitter), said, “BJD clearly spoke about the crumbling law and order of Odisha. Women are not safe in the state… The BJP government of Odisha is a complete failure.” He cited recent tragic incidents in Odisha, including the self-immolation of a college student and the burning of a 15-year-old girl by a group of men, to emphasise the urgent need for parliamentary debate on these issues.

Govt Says Open to Discussion, Calls for Peaceful Session

After the meeting, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju stated that the government is prepared to engage in discussions on all matters, including Trump’s remarks on Operation Sindoor. He underscored the need for coordination between the opposition and the government for a productive session.

“This is a very good opinion. The all-party delegations to different parties in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor had gone down very well… We must welcome it,” he said, as quoted by news agency ANI.

In another remark after the meeting, he said, “54 members have participated in the all-party meeting today. It was a very positive session. All party leaders gave their inputs. We have noted their inputs. We have requested that everyone ensure to conduct a successful session. It is important to run the Parliament session peacefully and successfully. We might be from different parties and different ideologies, but it is the responsibility of us all to run Parliament fruitfully.”

The meeting was chaired by Union Minister and Leader of the House in Rajya Sabha, J P Nadda, with Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju and Minister of State Arjun Ram Meghwal representing the government. Among those who attended were Congress leaders Gaurav Gogoi and Jairam Ramesh, Supriya Sule of the NCP (Sharad Pawar faction), T R Baalu from the DMK, and Union Minister Ramdas Athawale of the Republican Party of India (A).

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