Modi, Priyanka At Post-Session Tea Meeting
NEW DELHI: Rancour and blame game inside Parliament made way for conviviality and cordiality at a customary post-parliamentary session get-together of govt functionaries, including PM Narendra Modi, and opposition MPs at Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla’s chamber over tea on Friday.Congress and other opposition parties, which had skipped the meeting in a few previous sessions to convey their protest with happenings inside Parliament, were present in full force in an informal setting marked by Modi’s wit and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s relaxed and easy presence.Sources said Priyanka made polite enquiries from Modi about his foreign trip, setting the tone for a rare convivial setting involving govt & opposition members, some of whom nudged for a longer session as the 15-day sitting of winter session, which was adjourned sine die, was one of the shortest ever.With her brother Rahul Gandhi, leader of opposition in LS being in Germany, first-time MP Priyanka was the main Congress voice in the meeting. Her confidence but easy manner was a change from Rahul’s more aggressive and confrontational approach, a source said.Modi, sources said, asked opposition MPs about the session and praised RSP MP NK Premachandran, a Congress ally, for his diligence in parliamentary business. Several others too echoed the positive view of the seasoned parliamentarian. The PM made some light comments, evoking smiles from everyone.Sources said that Priyanka spoke about the health benefits that she got using a herb from her constituency Wayanad in Kerala.Modi used the Tamil greeting ‘Vanakkam’ for Manickam Tagore, and Priyanka quipped that she too has learnt a line in the language which means ‘Vote for Congress’, eliciting smiles from everyone, sources said. There was all-round laughter when a vocal opposition MP’s pitch for a longer session drew a quip from govt side that a short sitting might have given his throat some rest.Birla, sources said, emphasised the opportunity given to so many of the members from different parties to speak on bills and different issues despite the relatively short session. This was acknowledged by members at the meeting. Lok Sabha’s productivity was 111% in this session.Defence minister Rajnath Singh was among the ministers present at the meeting, which was also attended by Kumari Selja, Mohammad Jawed, from Congress, SP’s Dharmendra Yadav, DMK’s A Raja and NCP(SP)’s Supriya Sule, besides several BJP allies.After returning last night from his three-nation tour, Modi joined LS as Vande Mataram was played to mark the session’s end moments after it convened at 11am. This Parliament session was headlined by the passage of VB-G RAM G bill to replace the UPA-era MGNREGA amid fierce opposition protest. The session marked by high productivity ended with govt and opposition benches trading punches.As Birla read out his valedictory statement in LS, opposition raised slogans of “Mahatma Gandhi ki jai” to highlight their protest against removal of Gandhi’s name from the rural job guarantee scheme. A debate listed on air pollution, which was jointly moved by Priyanka, DMK’s Kanimozhi, did not take place due to what a govt functionary described as “bad atmosphere” inside the House.
