NEW DELHI: The Winter Session saw the three Gandhis — Rahul, Priyanka, and Sonia — enter Parliament together for the first time as the new MP from Wayanad took the oath. Though Sonia Gandhi remained away from the limelight, the siblings Rahul and Priyanka doubled up their attack in Parliament to corner the Bharatiya Janata Party-led NDA government. The session also saw the duo making personal statements with mock interviews, flower giveaways, and clothes.
Here’s a look at how the Gandhi siblings personalised their attack in Parliament:
Wayanad MP in Kasavu saree
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra took the oath as a member of parliament in the Lok Sabha on November 28. Continuing Rahul’s tradition, she took the oath while holding a copy of the Constitution. Earlier in June, Rahul Gandhi also took the oath in the Lok Sabha with a copy of the Constitution in his hand.
What stole the show, however, was her traditional Kerala Kasavu saree. The white saree with a golden border was more than a fashion statement — it symbolised her connection to Wayanad, the constituency that sent her to the Parliament with a resounding victory. With this, she also became the third generation of Gandhis to don this iconic weave, which Indira Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi had worn before.
Before her oath, a video of “proud brother” Rahul clicking pictures of Priyanka Gandhi also went viral.
The mock interview
As INDIA bloc protested in Parliament complex over the Adani row, Rahul Gandhi conducted a mock interview over the issue with Congress members wearing masks of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and industrialist Gautam Adani.
Post sloganeering, Rahul Gandhi interviewed with Congress leaders wearing masks of PM Modi and Adani.
The party shared the video clip of the “exclusive interview”.
Union minister Kiren Rijiju later hit out at Rahul Gandhi terming it “tamasha” (drama). Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan also called Rahul a “comedian” who was trying to stay relevant.
Rahul’s gift for Rajnath Singh
As part of the protest over the Adani issue, Rahul Gandhi gave an unusual gift to Rajnath Singh — a rose and a national flag.
On December 11, Union defence minister Rajnath Singh, proceeding from his car towards Parliament’s entrance, initially disregarded a Congress parliamentarian’s attempt to present him with a rose and flag. However, Rahul Gandhi stepped in and approached Singh with a smile and extended the same which the defence minister finally accepted.
Several other INDIA bloc MPs, including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, also waited outside Parliament for BJP lawmakers with roses and flags.
A day before, the MPs were seen carrying bags with caricatures of PM Modi and Adani after the government had refused any debate on the issue.
Priyanka’s tote bag collection
Who doesn’t love a good tote bag? Priyanka Gandhi surely does. The Wayanad MP made a strong statement in her debut session with her political fashion choices. On day 1, Priyanka carried a customised bag with the word “Palestine”. She carried the bag to Parliament and the photo was shared on X by Congress spokesperson Shama Mohamed on December 16.
“Smt. @priyankagandhi Ji shows her solidarity with Palestine by carrying a special bag symbolizing her support. A gesture of compassion, commitment to justice and humanity! She is clear that nobody can violate the Geneva convention,” Mohamed wrote.
As controversy erupted, Priyanka did not step back and upped her game with a “Bangladesh” bag in “solidarity with Hindus and Christians of Bangladesh”.
In return, BJP MP Aprajita Sarangi on Friday gifted her a bag with a ‘1984’ printed on it, alluding to the anti-Sikh riots following PM Indira Gandhi’s assassination. In a video, Sarangi was seen handing out the bag to Priyanka, which she accepted and continued walking ahead.
Rahul turns ‘man in blue’
By the last week of the session, the focus had shifted from Adani to home minister Amit Shah. Congress tried to corner BJP for Shah’s “anti-Ambedkar” remark in Rajya Sabha.
For this protest, Rahul Gandhi finally ditched his standard white polo t-shirt and donned a blue one.
The colour blue is associated with Dr BR Ambedkar and Dalit identity. The colour gained political significance when Ambedkar established the Scheduled Castes Federation in 1942, adopting a blue flag featuring Ashok Chakra. This flag was later retained by the Republican Party of India, founded by Ambedkar in 1956. Over time, blue became closely associated with Dalit identity and activism.
Along with Rahul, Priyanka and other Congress MPs also dressed up in blue and demanded Shah’s apology for the remark.
