In a rare display of cordiality following a heated Winter Session, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra engaged in a warm and humorous exchange at the customary tea hosted by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Friday, December 20, 2025.
A Refreshing Change from Parliamentary Acrimony
The atmosphere at the Speaker's tea party stood in stark contrast to the rancorous scenes witnessed in Parliament over the previous three weeks. The event, held at the conclusion of the Winter Session, saw smiles, jokes, and genuine admiration exchanged among leaders from both the treasury and opposition benches. This marked a significant shift from the July-August session, where the Opposition had boycotted the Speaker's tea entirely. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge took the decision for the party's representatives to attend this time, a move seen in light of the government accepting a discussion on electoral reforms, a key Opposition demand.
Among the notable attendees were NCP's Supriya Sule, DMK's A Raja, RSP's N K Premachandran, Union Ministers Ram Mohan Naidu (TDP) and Rajiv Ranjan Singh (JDU), and Chirag Paswan (LJP-RV). The Congress was represented by Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Kumari Selja, and Manickam Tagore.
The Conversation: From Blue Turmeric to a Tamil Punchline
Sources present described a pleasant interaction between the Prime Minister and the Congress MP from Wayanad. PM Modi initiated the conversation by asking Priyanka about the medicinal properties of blue turmeric, a specialty from her constituency Wayanad, known to be beneficial for the throat. Priyanka replied that she had been taking it on the advice of her brother, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, and found it helpful.
The dialogue then shifted to Priyanka inquiring about the PM's recent three-nation tour and Modi asking about the situation in Wayanad. The mood turned particularly light-hearted when Congress whip Manickam Tagore entered the room and the PM greeted him with a "vanakkam" (a traditional Tamil greeting). Priyanka remarked that Tamil is a classical but difficult language to learn, revealing she knew just one line.
When a curious PM Modi insisted on hearing it, Priyanka delivered the line: "Neenkal ellarum Congressukku vote podunkai" (All of you, please vote for the Congress). This elicited hearty laughter from the Prime Minister, lightening the mood further. Priyanka also mentioned her efforts to learn Malayalam to better connect with her constituents.
Underlying Politics and Mutual Praise
Amid the camaraderie, political undertones were not entirely absent. Priyanka reportedly told the PM that the House could have functioned smoothly from day one if the discussions sought by the Opposition had been allowed. In a playful retort, Modi suggested the "shouting MPs" had a field day due to the pandemonium. A Union Minister jokingly added that the session was shortened from four to three weeks to give less strain to the Opposition MPs' throats.
The gathering also saw moments of cross-party praise. PM Modi made a special mention of RSP leader N K Premachandran, commending him for his well-studied speeches and hard work on legislative interventions. Priyanka Gandhi and Kumari Selja concurred, with Selja stating Premachandran was the best when it came to interventions on legislation.
This tea talk follows another instance of rare bonhomie, where Priyanka Gandhi met Union Minister Nitin Gadkari a day earlier to discuss road projects in Kerala, an encounter highlighted by them sharing a snack. Together, these interactions signal brief but notable thaws in the often frosty relations between the government and the opposition.
