NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the leader of opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Saturday exchanged pleasantries and talked briefly at an event, a rarity in the otherwise cold and indifferent equation between them. It is not often that Rahul joins ministers and high functionaries like Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to greet the PM at commemorative events often held in Parliament complex but he did so on Saturday at a programme to pay tributes to reformer Jyotirao Phule. As he acknowledged greetings from everyone, Modi appeared to ask Rahul something and both then chatted for a while as they waited for Vice-President C P Radhakrishnan and President Droupadi Murmu. The exchange went viral on social media and piqued interest in political circles. There were suggestions that Modi inquired about the health of Rahul’s mother Sonia Gandhi who was recently admitted to a hospital. However, there was no official word on what transpired between them. Rahul has often in the past skipped such events and has often been accused by BJP of not giving due regard to state events and high dignitaries. Congress, too, in turn has often alleged govt does not accord protocol that is due to the LoP. Unsurprisingly, the pleasantries exchanged between Modi and Rahul created a buzz. Govt has announced a two year-long programme in the run-up to Phule’s 200th birth anniversary next year. To oversee the nationwide commemoration starting from 11 April 2026 to 11 April 2028, govt has set up a high-level committee under the PM’s chairmanship.
