PM Modi, Rahul Gandhi share rare brief exchange at Parliament amid earlier tensions

New Delhi, April 11 (IANS) It was a brief, cordial exchange unlike those been witnessed when the House is in session as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi met in Parliament complex on Saturday. 

A visual, viral online, showed the leaders sharing a candid moment at an event to pay tribute to social reformer Mahatma Jyotirao Phule on his 200th birth anniversary. It marked one of the few direct encounters between the two leaders.

According to people present nearby, the interaction lasted approximately five minutes and appeared amicable despite the escalating political tensions that have characterised the ongoing Budget Session. One such witness termed the exchange as “genuine gesture” where they greeted each other respectfully and shared a short conversation.

Another source added that the Prime Minister asked the Congress leader about the health of his mother, Sonia Gandhi, who was hospitalised recently following complaints of vomiting and nausea. It was learnt that Rahul Gandhi answered that her health is improving, to which the Prime Minister expressed satisfaction and extended his best wishes.

Incidentally, Sonia Gandhi was admitted to Sir Ganga Ram Hospital on March 24 and was discharged seven days later after recovering from a systemic infection.

Saturday’s meeting comes at a politically sensitive time. The Budget Session was marked by frequent disruptions, with Lok Sabha proceedings adjourned multiple times due to heated exchanges between the ruling and Opposition benches.

Just last month, tensions peaked when PM Modi skipped a crucial Lok Sabha session after Rahul Gandhi allegedly ignored multiple rulings from the Speaker.

Rahul has been constantly in the news during the session with his aggressive oratory and various contentious statements and gestures. On one occasion, he called former Congress leader, now Minister of State in the government, Ravneet Singh Bittu, a “traitor”.

He has also been seen sipping tea, sitting on Parliament’s Makar Dwar staircase, which earned criticisms from the treasury benches. Rahul has been frequently spearheading demonstrations at the Makar Dwar.

The Prime Minister too had criticised Gandhi for calling Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu a "traitor," calling it an insult to the Sikh community.

The atmosphere in Parliament has been particularly charged recently. On February 4, the Lok Sabha collapsed into chaos amid sharp political clashes over government policies.

His official meetings, too, did not go well, like in December last year, when he had submitted written objections to all proposed appointments at the Information Commission, citing lack of representation from Dalit, Adivasi, OBC, and minority communities, and demanded caste-wise applicant data.

The meeting was held at the Prime Minister’s residence, where Home Minister Amit Shah was also present, and extended far beyond the expected duration, which covered eight Information Commissioner posts plus one Vigilance Commissioner position.

Major policy disagreements have also erupted, particularly over the SIR exercise, vote allocation claims in Haryana and Bihar, and the handling of the Manipur violence.

On Saturday, among those present in the visual during the short exchange were Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Union Ministers J. P. Nadda and Arjun Ram Meghwal, who also paid tributes to the celebrated social reformer.