In Shorts
- Priyanka Gandhi’s anecdote at Parliament tea party brought smiles from PM Modi and Rajnath Singh.
- Opposition attended Speaker Om Birla’s gathering after winter session as a gesture of goodwill.
- Leaders traded light banter on session length and shared cordial exchanges.
New Delhi: After weeks of heated debates, walkouts and protest-laden proceedings during the Winter Session of Parliament, a customary tea party hosted by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla offered a rare moment of cordiality among lawmakers. What stood out most was a light-hearted anecdote shared by Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra that drew smiles from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
The gathering, held shortly after the session concluded, has become a tradition aimed at easing political tensions and fostering brief, informal interaction between members from different parties. Photos released from the Speaker’s office showed Gandhi seated beside Rajnath Singh, with Modi and Birla close by, reflecting an unusually warm scene following weeks of acrimonious exchanges in the chamber.
During the roughly 20-minute interaction, Priyanka Gandhi shared that she regularly consumes an herb from her Wayanad constituency to help prevent allergies, prompting visible smiles from both the Prime Minister and the Defence Minister. She also took the opportunity to ask Modi about his recent diplomatic visits abroad, to which he responded positively about the outcomes of his tours.
Other leaders mingling at the event included Parliamentarians from across party lines. Samajwadi Party’s Dharmendra Yadav, NCP (SP)’s Supriya Sule and CPI’s D Raja were among those present, adding to the impression of a cross-party moment of ease. At one point, a comment about extending the session led to a playful remark from the Prime Minister about pacing voices and the session’s brevity.
This year’s turnout marked a shift from the previous session, when many opposition leaders, including Priyanka Gandhi’s brother Rahul Gandhi, had sat out the tea gathering in protest against perceived restrictions on speaking time within the House. According to party sources, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge later decided that members would attend this time, reflecting an assessment that the Speaker had treated opposition voices more fairly during the session.
The atmosphere at the tea meeting contrasted sharply with the sharp rhetoric that had characterised much of the Winter Session, offering a moment of human connection amid ongoing political competition.
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