Sushil Kumar Rinku, Smriti Irani and Mallikarjun Kharge
Credit: PTI Photos
Believe it or not, Parliament sessions can be funny as well. While most parliamentarians try hard to add humour to their seemingly neverending speeches, little do they know that we aren't always laughing with them, sometimes it is at them!
With the Monsoon Session having concluded on August 11, here's a look at some of the lighthearted moments amid the many barbs.
Heart of the matter
The key to VP Dhankhar’s heart will most likely lead to Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge! In a war of words between Kharge and Dhankhar on the Manipur issue, the Rajya Sabha Chairman claimed that Kharge was number one in his heart. Responding to this, Kharge remarked that though Dhankhar’s heart is very large, it belongs to “that side” - pointing at the section of the House where the BJP was seated. In his retort, Dhankhar said that “biologically, the heart is on the left side” as he gestured at the side where Kharge was standing.
One kiss is all it takes
Not everyone is equipped to digest hate and criticism, but love? Looks like that too comes with consequences these days. Making headlines this week was Rahul Gandhi’s alleged kiss at the treasury benches after his speech in the no-confidence motion against the Modi government. While Smriti Irani called Rahul Gandhi a misogynist, the walk-out posed by women MPs while ex-CJI Ranjan Gogoi - a man who had presided over his own sexual harassment hearing - delivered his maiden speech in the Rajya Sabha did not seem to concern the vociferous Smriti Irani one bit.
Alice in Chains Rinku in chains
If you think the Opposition alliance calling itself I.N.D.I.A irks the BJP, try an MP calling himself ‘democracy’. This Parliament session witnessed several suspensions like that of Raghav Chadha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, and Sanjay Singh, but the one MP who took it to heart was AAP MP Sushil Kumar Rinku.
Rinku came to the Parliament calling himself the personification of democracy with his hands tied in shackles as he accused the Centre of “killing democracy.” The impact that his cosplay had on the Parliament was in proportion with the efforts Rinku had put in his costume-NONE.
Kharge’s ‘dil ki baat’
Mallikarjun Kharge said that the members that come to the House should be given a chance to express their ‘dil ki baat’. Agreeing, Dhankhar said that they must be allowed to share their ‘dil ki baat’ and ‘mann ki baat’. In what turned out to be a response that left the entire House as well as the chairman in fits, Kharge added - leave ‘mann ki baat’ to Modi ji.
Accepting defeat in this verbal joust, Dhankhar said, “Kabhi toh mujhe point score karne ka mauka dein.”
The key to staying calm?
There may be many things that make it to the list of unparliamentary activities, but the chair invoking their marriage to make a point hasn't certainly been among them!
Amid heated arguments over the Manipur issue, the Congress President accused Jagdeep Dhankhar of getting angry in the House. To counter this, Dhankhar said, “I am a married man for more than 45 years sir, I never get angry.” The Congress leader however responded, “You don’t show your anger, but definitely feel angry, sir.”