New Deljhi, Dec 1 (UNI) Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Monday criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi for describing the Opposition’s demand for parliamentary discussions “drama.”
She asserted that raising and debating issues in the House is a core part of democratic functioning, while preventing discussions on matters of public importance is the real “drama.”
Speaking to reporters after PM Modi’s address ahead of the 6th Session of the 18th Lok Sabha and 269th Session of the Rajya Sabha, the Congress MP from Wayanad said raising pressing public concerns including the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and severe air pollution, is the very purpose of Parliament.
“There are urgent issues. The election situation, SIR and pollution are huge issues. Let us discuss them. What is Parliament for? Let’s discuss them. It’s not drama. Speaking about issues, raising issues is not drama. Drama is not allowing discussions; drama is not having a democratic discussion about issues that matter to the public,” Gandhi said.
Priyanka’s remarks came shortly after PM Modi delivered his customary address at Hans Dwar, marking the commencement of the Parliament’s Winter Session.
In a pointed appeal to the Opposition, the Prime Minister called for constructive debate and cooperation, cautioning against procedural deadlocks. He urged Opposition members not to be “frazzled by the outcome” of the recent election results and to focus on legislation.
“Don’t do drama in Parliament, but deliver,” the Prime Minister said, pushing for effective functioning of the House. He also cautioned his own alliance against letting their victory translate into “arrogance.”
He hailed the high voter turnout in the recent Bihar elections, particularly the participation of women, as a reflection of the nation’s faith in the parliamentary process. “India has proven that democracy can deliver,” PM Modi said as he addressed accredited media representatives. “I would request that everyone think about the issues at hand. There are a lot of places for doing drama; whoever wants to do drama can do it. There should be delivery here, no drama. Whoever wants to say slogans, the whole country is there; you have already said it during the defeat of Bihar elections. But here the emphasis should be on policy, not slogans,” PM Modi said .
“It is possible that negativity can work in politics but ultimately positive thinking is needed for nation building. Negativity should be kept aside and nation-building should be the focus,” he added.
The session , the sixth of the Eighteenth Lok Sabha, is expected to be intense, with the government planning an aggressive legislative push to accelerate economic reforms. Its agenda for the 15-day session includes ten key bills, such as the Atomic Energy Bill, 2025 and the Insurance Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2025.
