Operation Sindoor debate erupts in Rajya Sabha: Nadda withdraws remarks, offers apology

The Rajya Sabha remained in unrest on Tuesday as a fevered exchange took place between Leader of the House J.P. Nadda and Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge during the debate on Operation Sindoor and the Pahalgam terror attack. The clash heated up with Nadda retracting his remarks and issuing a public apology.

Kharge, speaking at length on national security failures, accused the government of election campaigning overshadowing urgent security concerns. He demanded parliamentary accountability and underscored the PM’s absence from an all-party meeting on last month’s attack in Pahalgam. In the response, Nadda accused Kharge of “losing his mental balance” in his remarks against the PM and urged the erasing of those comments from the record, citing “flow of emotion”.

The opposition benches involved in protest, demanding an apology for the statement. Recognizing the gravity of the situation one hour later, Nadda stood and formally withdrew his words. He offered an apology to Kharge, stating: “We respect the Leader of the Opposition… I have already taken back my words, but if they have hurt Kharge’s feelings, I apologize.” He reaffirmed that Kharge is a senior leader whose remarks were beyond his usual stature, and urged the Chair to expunge them.

Kharge welcomed the apology, commenting that Nadda was among the ministers he respected, but expressed that such remarks were “a matter of shame” and insisted the issue would not be dropped.

The intense interaction followed Kharge’s critique of the government’s handling of repeated security lapses from the Uri and Pathankot attacks to Pulwama and now Pahalgam. He questioned the efficacy of intelligence agencies and demanded resignation or corrective action of those responsible.

Meanwhile, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh defended Operation Sindoor, congratulating Indian forces for the removal of three terrorists affiliated with the same group responsible for the Pahalgam attack. He praised the operation’s planning, highlighting minimal civilian impact and India’s zero-tolerance stance on terrorism.

The Rajya Sabha spectacle underscored deepening political tensions and heightened scrutiny over national security discourse, showcasing a rare moment of concession by the ruling party’s leadership.

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