In a refreshing departure from the acrimony that often defines parliamentary proceedings, a customary post-session tea gathering hosted by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Friday witnessed a rare display of conviviality between government functionaries and opposition members. The informal meet, attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a strong contingent of opposition MPs including Congress's Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, was marked by light-hearted exchanges and polite conversation, setting aside the blame game that had dominated the just-concluded winter session.
A Shift from Confrontation to Conversation
The gathering was notable for the full-force presence of Congress and other opposition parties, who had boycotted similar meetings in previous sessions to register their protests. The setting was significantly eased by Prime Minister Modi's wit and the relaxed and easy presence of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. With her brother and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, being in Germany, Priyanka Gandhi was the principal voice for the Congress at this interaction.
Sources present indicated that Priyanka Gandhi initiated a polite conversation with the Prime Minister, enquiring about his recent foreign trip, which helped set a friendly tone for the gathering. Her confident yet approachable manner was noted as a distinct contrast to the often more aggressive stance seen in the House. The meeting saw several opposition MPs nudging for longer parliamentary sessions, pointing out that the 15-day winter session, adjourned sine die, was one of the shortest ever.
Light Banter and Mutual Praise
Prime Minister Modi, engaging with the opposition MPs, inquired about their experience of the session and specifically praised RSP MP NK Premachandran, an ally of the Congress, for his diligence in parliamentary business. This positive assessment of the seasoned parliamentarian was echoed by several others in attendance. The PM's light-hearted comments evoked smiles all around.
The informal banter continued with cultural touches. Modi greeted Congress MP Manickam Tagore with a Tamil 'Vanakkam'. In a witty retort, Priyanka Gandhi quipped that she too had learned a line in Tamil, which meant 'Vote for Congress', drawing amused smiles from the assembled members. Another moment of all-round laughter ensued when a vocal opposition MP's push for a longer session was met with a playful jibe from the government side suggesting the short sitting might have given his throat some much-needed rest.
Productivity and Unfinished Business
Speaker Om Birla took the opportunity to highlight the productivity of the session, emphasising that despite its short duration, many members from different parties were given the opportunity to speak on bills and various issues. This was acknowledged by the members. Notably, Lok Sabha's productivity was recorded at an impressive 111% for this session.
The gathering saw attendance from a cross-section of leaders, including Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Congress's Kumari Selja and Mohammad Jawed, SP's Dharmendra Yadav, DMK's A Raja, and NCP(SP)'s Supriya Sule, besides several BJP allies.
This cordial interlude stood in stark contrast to the session's final moments in the Lok Sabha. The winter session was headlined by the passage of the VB-G RAM G bill to replace the UPA-era MGNREGA, which was met with fierce opposition protest. As Speaker Birla read his valedictory statement, opposition members raised slogans of "Mahatma Gandhi ki jai" to protest the removal of Gandhi's name from the rural job guarantee scheme. Furthermore, a listed debate on air pollution, jointly moved by Priyanka Gandhi and DMK's Kanimozhi, did not take place due to what a government functionary described as the "bad atmosphere" inside the House.
The tea meeting, therefore, served as a brief but significant diplomatic pause, underscoring the possibility of respectful dialogue beyond the adversarial floor of Parliament.
