An Anecdote By Priyanka Gandhi Made PM, Rajnath Singh Smile: Inside Story

The Winter Session of Parliament remained fraught with heated debates, walkouts, and protests. But what emerged after the tea party hosted by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla added warmth to the bitter rivalry at the conclusion of the session. Unlike the previous sessions, even opposition members attended the tea party that offered a moment to unwind after nearly three weeks of sharp political allegations and counters.

Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who had been leading the charge due to the Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi's absence, represented her party at the gathering this afternoon. She was seated next to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, alongside Birla and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, showed a picture from the Speaker's office.

Some Lighter Moments

The tea party is a customary gathering hosted by the Speaker after the end of every session to ease the heated atmosphere on a note of cordiality and goodwill. Today's meeting ran for 20-odd minutes and witnessed several lighter moments between the ruling and opposition MPs.

Priyanka Gandhi shared with the MPs that she consumes an herb from Wayanad, her constituency, to prevent allergies. PM Modi and Rajnath Singh were seen smiling at the Congress MP's remark, said sources. The Congress leader also inquired about the PM's recent trip to Ethiopia, Jordan, and Oman. The trip was good, the PM replied.

Samajwadi Party's Dharmendra Yadav, NCP (SP)'s Supriya Sule, and CPI leader D Raja were also present at the meeting.

During the meeting, Yadav suggested that the session could have run a little longer, to which PM Modi jokingly said that the session was kept short so that his throat wouldn't hurt, said sources, pointing to Yadav's high-decibel arguments in the House.

The PM also praised some Opposition MPs, including NK Premchandran, for coming well-prepared to the House.

Some Opposition leaders, meanwhile, urged the PM to include a central hall for MPs in the new parliament building on the lines of the one in the older building, where MPs and former MPs often gathered for discussions. "That's for post-retirement; you still have a lot of service to render," the PM replied, with sources adding that the quip elicited laughter among the MPs.

Why Opposition Attended

Priyanka Gandhi attending the Speaker's tea party after the indefinite adjournment of both Houses this afternoon is in stark contrast to her brother Rahul Gandhi skipping a similar gathering after the Monsoon Session.

Besides Rahul Gandhi, other Opposition leaders too had boycotted the tea party last time, accusing the Speaker of not allowing the Opposition MPs to speak in the House. This had drawn criticism from even PM Modi.

This time, sources said, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge decided that all opposition MPs must attend the tea party since the Chair (Speaker) was fair to the Opposition during the Winter Session.