NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, and various opposition leaders participated in an unofficial tea meeting organized in the Parliament complex after the Lok Sabha was adjourned on Friday. In the meeting, PM Modi, along with Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, were seen exchanging greetings with Rahul Gandhi and other opposition leaders. During the informal gathering in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi asked Defence Minister Rajnath Singh about the prevailing situation in Ukraine and Gaza. The Defence Minister replied, “India is monitoring the situation closely.” The current session of Parliament was scheduled to end on August 12, but Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla adjourned the House sine die (for an indefinite period). The Rajya Sabha was also adjourned. Traditionally, after both Houses are adjourned sine die, the Lok Sabha Speaker invites the floor leaders of all political parties for a customary tea meeting. Union Ministers Kiren Rijiju, Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu, Chirag Paswan, Piyush Goyal, as well as MPs Sudip Bandyopadhyay and Kanimozhi, were also seen attending the tea meeting. Earlier, Om Birla provided a detailed account of the session’s proceedings, highlighting that 15 sittings were held, spanning a total of 115 hours. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Union Budget for 2024-25 on July 23, which was deliberated for 27 hours and 19 minutes. Birla also noted that 12 government bills were introduced during the session, with four being passed by the Lok Sabha. He lauded the session’s productivity, which stood at an impressive 136 percent.
