Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla hosted a tea meeting for leaders of the Lower House in his chamber at Parliament House on Friday. The meeting offered light moments and active interaction between MPs after weeks of intense political confrontation and walkouts.
The Winter session was marked by frequent disruptions, sharp exchanges, protests and walkouts by Opposition parties. However, the atmosphere softened at the informal gathering, which saw leaders across party lines interact away from the din of the House. Notably, unlike in previous sessions, Opposition MPs also attended the meeting.
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Priyanka Gandhi’s ‘chai par charcha’ moment
Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who had been actively leading the party’s floor strategy in the absence of Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, represented the Congress at the meeting. Photographs released from the Speaker’s office showed Priyanka seated next to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Om Birla also present. She was seen sipping tea and conversing with leaders from across the aisle.
According to an NDTV report, Priyanka chatted briefly with the PM and asked about his recent trip to Ethiopia, Jordan and Oman. The PM responded that the trip was good, the report stated.
Other opposition leaders also present
Several senior Opposition leaders attended the gathering, including Samajwadi Party MP Dharmendra Yadav, NCP (SP) leader Supriya Sule and CPI leader D Raja.
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According to the NDTV report, a light-hearted exchange unfolded during the interaction when Dharmendra Yadav remarked that the Winter Session could have been extended. Prime Minister Modi reportedly responded with a joke, saying the session was kept short so that his throat would not hurt — a reference to Yadav’s high-decibel arguments during debates.
The Prime Minister also acknowledged the contributions of some Opposition MPs. He reportedly praised members such as NK Premchandran for coming to the House well-prepared and participating constructively in discussions. |
