'PM and I don't have wife issue': Rahul Gandhi’s rare joke leaves Lok Sabha in splits

In a rare moment during a high-stakes parliamentary debate, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi left the Lok Sabha in splits on Friday with a light-hearted remark about himself and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. While participating in the discussion on the Women’s Reservation and Delimitation Bills, Gandhi touched upon the profound influence women have in shaping the perspectives of men. The atmosphere, usually thick with political friction, softened as Gandhi made a self-deprecating reference to the bachelor status shared by both him and the prime minister.

The banter began when Gandhi referenced Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju’s earlier comment about receiving a "scolding" at home for failing to write a poem for his wife—a feat recently accomplished by Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal.

"All of us in this room have been influenced, taught, and have learnt a lot from women in our lives—from mothers, sisters, and wives," Gandhi noted. He then added with a grin: "Of course, the prime minister and myself don't have 'the wife issue,' so we don't get that specific input, but we do have our mothers and sisters."

The remark triggered immediate laughter across the aisle, with even several members of the Treasury benches seen smiling at the rare display of camaraderie.

Gandhi didn't stop there. Continuing the streak of humor, he lauded his sister, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, for her impactful speech in the House the previous day. He joked that Priyanka had managed a feat he hadn't achieved in two decades of his political career. "Yesterday, I was watching my sister achieve in five minutes what I have not been able to do in 20 years—make Amit Shah ji smile," Gandhi quipped, prompting another round of guffaws from the members.