A Tea Meet, Dogs And Smoke: Winter Session Headlines From The Sidelines

The winter session of parliament this year saw some moments that unfolded outside the house in non-business hours that nonetheless made big headlines. Some events from the proceedings went viral too.

While sessions going on till past midnight have not been a rarity, a controversy involving a dog definitely made the cut for being a first.

The matter involved Congress MP Renuka Chowdhury coming to parliament carrying a dog in her car. Reporters managed to click some photos of the canine and they went viral in no time.

No rules say one can't bring pets to the parliament complex; however, the Congress MP faced questions. She said she found the dog in distress on a road while coming to parliament, and she decided to give it a ride in her car.

Alluding to the dog and the analogies associated with it, Chowdhury said the "real biters are sitting inside [parliament] and running the government." She signed off with a taunt - "bow, bow."

The parliament's privileges committee has taken up the matter. The Congress MP said she would respond when it comes up for hearing.

Another matter that went viral this winter session involved an allegation that a Trinamool Congress MP smoked an e-cigarette in Lok Sabha. BJP leader Amit Malviya shared a 35-second video that showed, he claimed, Trinamool MP Kirti Azad vaping in the house. The video showed Azad sitting inside Lok Sabha and making a gesture that resembled smoking i.e. he brought his cupped right hand to his mouth and held it for five seconds.

Azad's colleague and Trinamool MP Saugata Roy also pulled a few puffs on the parliament's premises, which drew criticism from a few Union ministers. The allegation of vaping inside the house has been referred to the privileges committee.

On the last day of the winter session today,Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, NCP-SP's Supriya Sule and other leaders met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla in his chamber after the session was adjourned sine die. They thanked the Speaker for the conduct of the session.

What became a topic of discussion was Priyanka Gandhi's attendance at the tea meet in the absence of Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi.

Priyanka Gandhi's meeting with Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari to press for projects in Kerala saw work, laughter, and some food tasting. The MP from Kerala's Wayanad met him at his office on parliament premises and discussed six road projects that pass through Kerala. She had requested for the meeting during Question Hour.

Other scenes that made headlines include Opposition MPs climbing on tables in the house during the discussion on the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin), or VB-G RAM G Bill, which eventually replaced the 20-year-old Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). This incident, too, has been referred to the privileges committee.

The naming of several bills in a mix of Hindi and English words, and their abbreviated names such as Sabka Bima Sabki Raksha (Amendment of Insurance Laws) Bill 2025 led to a bitter war of words between Opposition and ruling MPs.

The biggest uproar came over the VB-G RAM G bill. The bill for private sector participation in the atomic energy sector, called the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India Bill 2025, sparked controversy when it was referred to as SHANTI.

The meeting to appoint central information, information and vigilance commissioners lasted 88 minutes - a long meeting just to decide a few names.

On the last night of the session before the debate on the G Ram G bill began, Trinamool Congress MPs held a 12-hour protest and spent the night on parliament's premises.

Eight bills were passed during the session. Some 300 starred questions were admitted, and 72 were answered orally. A total of 3,449 unstarred questions were admitted during the session.

In total, 408 matters of urgent public importance were raised by MPs during Zero Hour, and 372 matters were taken up under Rule 377. On December 11, as many as 150 members raised their matters during Zero Hour in the house.