Govt's prerogative who replies: Nadda defends PM Modi’s absence in Rajya Sabha Operation Sindoor debate

New Delhi: Leader of the House in Rajya Sabha, JP Nadda, countered the Opposition's criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi not replying to the debate on Operation Sindoor in the Upper House, as he had done in the Lok Sabha. Nadda underlined that it is the government's prerogative to decide which minister will reply to a debate, and cited a precedent from the erstwhile UPA dispensation to buttress his argument.

Making a suo motu statement in the House, Nadda said, "Yesterday, after a long discussion on Operation Sindoor, some of the Opposition members staged a walkout when the Home Minister commenced his reply. In this regard, I draw the attention of members to the proceedings of both Houses in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks in Mumbai in December (sic) 2008."

While Prime Minister Modi had replied to the discussion on Operation Sindoor in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, the government fielded Home Minister Amit Shah to do so in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. This led to protests and a walkout by the Opposition, which wanted to corner the PM on US President Donald Trump's controversial statements on ceasefire and tariffs.


Clearing the air on the issue, Nadda referred to the debate on the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks in 2008.

"It is a matter of record that discussions took place in both Houses on the statement made on behalf of the Ministry of Home Affairs... In the Lok Sabha, the then Home Minister, P Chidambaram, and the Prime Minister (Manmohan Singh) replied to the debate... And in the Rajya Sabha, the then Minister of Home Affairs, Chidambaram, replied to the discussion," he said.

The Leader of the House informed members that this issue had been discussed in the last Business Advisory Committee, and the Chair had made it clear there, as well as in the House, that "it is the prerogative of the Government to decide which Minister should speak and reply to the discussion in the House".

Nadda said that while the Opposition had sought a discussion on Operation Sindoor and wanted to "elicit information from the Government", when the opportunity came, they walked out instead of hearing the Home Minister.

"Therefore, the demand of the Opposition parties yesterday was clearly misplaced and displays a double standard. Given the precedent I quoted just now about the discussions in both Houses on the Mumbai terror attack," Nadda said.