NEW DELHI: Despite calls for government-opposition coordination, the first sitting of the Lok Sabha in the Monsoon Session was adjourned just 20 minutes after it began, amid slogans by opposition MPs demanding Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s response to US President Donald Trump’s claims of brokering a peace deal between India and Pakistan.Parliament began by paying tribute to the victims of the Pahalgam terrorist attack and the Air India AI-171 plane crash. However, opposition MPs soon began raising slogans of “PM Modi jawab do” and demanded an immediate discussion on Operation Sindoor.Speaker Om Birla assured the House that he would allow discussion on the subject after Question Hour, but opposition MPs continued protesting from the well, leading to adjournment until 12 noon.“You should give notice, and whatever the issue is, it will be discussed after the Question Hour. The House should function on the first day, and there should be a good discussion. I will give proper time and opportunity to every MP,” Birla said.“The government wants to answer on every issue. The House should function. You have not come here to raise slogans. The House functions as per the rules and regulations. All the issues raised according to the rules will be discussed,” he added.This comes a day after Union minister Kiren Rijiju called for government-opposition coordination to ensure smooth functioning of the session and reiterated that the Centre “will respond appropriately” if the opposition raises the issue of US President Donald Trump’s claims on Operation Sindoor.Earlier in the day, PM Modi addressed the media ahead of the session and said the Monsoon Session is an occasion for celebration as a “Vijayotsav.”The Prime Minister also appreciated the role of all parties in reaching out to the world community and exposing Pakistan as a haven for terror sponsors.The Monsoon Session of Parliament began on Monday and will run till August 21. The session is expected to be stormy, with the opposition’s INDIA bloc and the BJP-led government preparing to clash on several issues.The opposition has demanded discussions on the Pahalgam terror attack, Operation Sindoor, and what it calls a “drift” in foreign policy, insisting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should personally respond to these debates.
