Bhopal, July 29 (IANS) Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath on Tuesday said that excluding Shashi Tharoor and Manish Tewari from the list of speakers for the Operation Sindoor debate in Parliament is the right decision.

“This is the party’s decision, and I think it’s the right decision,” said Kamal Nath, who was in Bhopal to attend the second day of the Monsoon session of Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly on Tuesday.

The controversy comes at a time when the Opposition is attempting to mount a strong offensive against the Centre during the high-stakes Operation Sindoor debate in the Parliament.

Both Tewari and Tharoor had recently represented India on diplomatic missions abroad as part of New Delhi’s outreach following Operation Sindoor. Their absence from the speakers’ list — especially given their expertise and prior involvement — has drawn sharp public and internal reactions.

Most of the Congress leaders have either maintained silence or evaded this question. Some media reports also suggested that Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) MP himself opted not to take part in the debate on ‘Operation Sindoor’; however, Kamal Nath’s statement indicated that it was a well-planned step of the Congress to exclude their names from the speakers’ list.

Kamal Nath, who is MLA from his hometown Chhindwara, however, said since he has come to attend the Monsoon session of the State Assembly, he would speak on the state’s issues.

He also accused the Chief Minister Mohan Yadav-led BJP government of making ‘fake promises’ to the people of Madhya Pradesh.

“If MLAs ask some questions in the House, they are being given assurances instead of a reply to any issue. This is the situation in Madhya Pradesh. If someone asks how many announcements former Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and now his successor Mohan Yadav have made, there is no record of it,” Kamal Nath said.

Upon reaching the Assembly, Kamal Nath, who is among the senior-most MLAs in the state, met Speaker Narendra Singh Tomar at his office. Senior BJP leader, Parliamentary Affairs Minister for State, Kailash Vijayvargiya, and Prahlad Patel also joined him at Tomar’s office.

The Monsoon session of the MP Assembly started on Monday, and it is scheduled to be concluded on August 8.

–IANS

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