New Delhi: Cordial moments between leaders of the ruling BJP and the Opposition have become increasingly rare in Indian politics, rarer still when they involve Prime Minister Narendra Modi and members of the Gandhi family.
That is what made the customary tea session hosted by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla at the close of Parliament’s Winter Session stand out Friday. It is not every day that one sees PM Modi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra seated next to each other, leisurely sipping tea and sharing light moments.
This was the first time since the 2024 Monsoon Session that the Opposition attended the gathering, having skipped the previous few as acrimony inside the House had spilled over outside as well. On Friday, however, sharp political contestation appeared to melt away, if only briefly.
It is learnt that Samajwadi Party Lok Sabha MP Dharmendra Yadav remarked the session could have lasted longer to allow for more deliberations. Responding in a lighter vein, the Prime Minister said the duration had been decided to protect Yadav’s throat from excessive shouting, drawing laughter from those present.
Priyanka quipped that she does not merely indulge in sloganeering but also delivers speeches, again prompting laughter.
Sources said that Priyanka, who was seated next to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, enquired about the Prime Minister’s recent three-nation tour to Jordan, Oman and Ethiopia. Modi reportedly responded that he found Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital, quite beautiful.
During the discussion, Priyanka, whose cordial interaction with Union transport minister Nitin Gadkari had become the talk of the town on Thursday, mentioned that a variety of turmeric found in her constituency, Wayanad in Kerala, helps relieve throat irritation and allergies.
She also shared that she is trying to learn Malayalam to better understand her constituency and connect with its people.
Congress Lok Sabha MP and party whip Manickam Tagore said the decision to attend the meeting was taken by Rajya Sabha Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge, who felt that the government’s conduct had been fairer this time compared to previous sessions.
Congress MP from Hisar, Kumari Selja, suggested that a Central Hall, similar to the one in the old Lok Sabha building, be constructed in the new Parliament complex to facilitate better exchanges between MPs across party lines.
An MP who attended the meeting said the Prime Minister also praised Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) MP N.K. Premachandran, the party’s lone Lok Sabha representative, for his strong command of parliamentary rules and meticulous preparation during debates.
(Edited by Gitanjali Das)
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