New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi warmly shaking hands with Rahul Gandhi caught the attention of Parliamentarians on Monday. Soon after President Pranab Mukherjee’s address to the joint session of Parliament, the prime minister reached out to Rahul, seated in the eighth row of the Central Hall of Parliament along with senior Congress leaders Motilal Vora and Jairam Ramesh. Modi not only shook but squeezed Rahul’s hand, breaking the ice after the prolonged hostility of the campaigning.
Before the President’s address, Sonia Gandhi was seen engaged in a prolonged chat with BJP leader L K Advani, who was seated next to her in the packed Central Hall.
A number of MPs, including Chandan Mitra, Babul Supriyo, Rajyavarhan Rathore and Manoj Tewari, who could not find a seat, kept standing during the President’s 55-minute address.