Indian politics in 2025 was marked by intense political sparring, protests over electoral reforms and debates on economic policy. Yet, amid the rancour and disruption, the Parliament also delivered moments that rose above party lines and caught the public imagination.
From rare flashes of humour on the floor of the House to unexpected gestures of empathy across the aisle, these episodes offered a reminder that even in a deeply polarised political climate, India’s parliamentarians remain light-hearted.
“Don’t control me,”-the famous internet catchphrase
Samajwadi Party MP Jaya Bachchan, known for her no-nonsense interventions, was addressing the Rajya Sabha during a debate on security operations after Operation Sindoor, when Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi tried to calm her down amid interruptions from the treasury bench.
Bachchan snapped, “Priyanka, don’t control me.”
Chaturvedi’s surprised laughter and the sharpness of the line turned the clip into a trending post across social platforms.
Breakfast Diplomacy
The winter session in December witnessed a moment that initially seemed procedural but turned warm.
During Question Hour in the Lok Sabha, congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra urged Union minister Nitin Gadkari for a meeting on pending road projects affecting her constituency.
Gadkari responded on the spot — no formal appointment needed.
Minutes later, cameras caught them in a cordial meeting over breakfast, complete with rice balls and chutney.
A quip about how he had been working with her brother, Rahul Gandhi, on projects prompted smiles all around.
The footage was seen by many as a rare example of cross-party productive engagement that broke the usual script of conflict.
“Bhow Bhow” reverberations
Perhaps the year’s most unusual flashpoint came through a puppy.
Congress MP Renuka Chowdhury arrived at Parliament during the winter session with a rescued stray dog in tow, explaining she had found it after a roadside accident and wanted to keep it safe.
When asked by reporters’ weeks later about a possible privilege motion, Chowdhury responded with a bark of “bhow, bhow… aur kya bolun?” (What else can I say?), a witty gesture that made headlines and won its own internet audience.
The Gandhi siblings
Few moments resonated with the public as warmly as a clip of Rahul Gandhi sharing light conversation and a brief shoulder massage with party colleagues, including Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, as Priyanka Gandhi looked on nearby.
PM’s Shaayari for the Opposition Leader
Prime Minister Narendra Modi recited poetry by Hindi poet Gopal Das Neeraj in the Rajya Sabha on February 6, 2025, as a witty retort to Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge's own poetic jabs during the debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President's address.
Kharge had quoted Neeraj's verses to criticise the BJP government, prompting Modi to highlight that the poems were composed during Congress rule, implying they reflected Opposition-era struggles.
Modi recited lines like: "Tamasha karne walon ko kya khabar, humne itne toofanon ko paar kar diya jalaya hai" (Those who create drama, what do they know? We have crossed so many storms and set them ablaze), drawing laughter from the house. He also referenced Neeraj's "Phir Deep Jalega" collection, adding: "Hai bahut andhera, ab suraj nikalna chahiye" to underscore contrasts with past regimes.
These moments unfolded amid a backdrop of intense parliamentary conflict, from protests over major bills to viral images of MPs vaping or tearing papers in frustration that together made the 2025 sessions.
