The exclusion of senior Congress leader Manish Tewari from the list of speakers for the Lok Sabha debate on Operation Sindoor-Pahalgam has stirred discussions within the party and political circles. Tewari, along with Shashi Tharoor and Amar Singh, had been part of India's global outreach efforts following Operation Sindoor, a detail that adds a layer of intrigue to their exclusion.

Operation Sindoor was launched by the Indian government on May 7 in response to the Pahalgam terror attack. As part of this initiative, multi-party delegations were sent to over 30 countries to expose Pakistan's role in cross-border terrorism and to present India's zero-tolerance policy.

The decision to exclude Tewari, Tharoor, and Singh from the speaker list has sparked varied interpretations. Some suggest that Tharoor's absence stems from a desire to avoid expressing views that might diverge from the party line. Others believe that Tharoor is unwilling to compromise his stance to align with the party's position in the House. According to sources, Tharoor declined the offer to speak in the debate and instead opted to speak on The Indian Ports Bill, 2025. Sources said that Tharoor felt participating in the debate was avoidable since he could not deviate from the position he had taken when he traveled abroad as part of a delegation. In contrast to Tharoor, sources indicate that Tewari was open to participating in the debate and had even written to the party expressing his desire to do so, but he was not allowed.

Congress has been at odds with the Centre over the composition of the delegations that traveled abroad after Operation Sindoor. The party accused the government of engaging in "cheap politics" by not selecting members of their choice, such as Gaurav Gogoi and Amrinder Singh Raja Warring. The party was particularly displeased with the Centre's choice of Tharoor as a delegate, given his past disagreements with the party.

The official Congress speakers for the debate included Gaurav Gogoi, Deepender Hooda, Saptagiri Ulaka, Praniti Shinde, and Brijendra Singh Ola. Some within the party feel that the chosen speakers lack the stature and articulation of Tharoor and Tewari to effectively counter the ruling party. These MPs are viewed as loyal to the Rahul-Priyanka camp. Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Warring, Manickam Tagore, and Shafi Parambil were also scheduled to speak.

During the Lok Sabha debate on Operation Sindoor, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar stated that there was no discussion about trade in conversations with the U.S. regarding the Pahalgam attack. He also reiterated the condemnation of the Pahalgam terror attack from international groups. Home Minister Amit Shah criticized the opposition for interrupting Jaishankar's speech. BJP MP Anurag Thakur stated that Pakistan's "bleed India with a thousand cuts" strategy had failed due to India's military response in Operation Sindoor. AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi congratulated the armed forces for making Operation Sindoor a success.