PM Narendra Modi leaves rivalry at bay, gives Rahul Gandhi a warm welcome

Updated: Tuesday, June 10, 2014, 22:29 [IST]

New Delhi, June 10: A King should treat all as equal and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is winning many hearts that way. After President Pranab Mukherjee finished addressing the joint session of the Parliament yesterday, Modi extended a warm welcome to his stark opponent Rahul Gandhi and the latter reciprocated.

True that they have been targetting each other during the elections, but as promised to his party members, Narendra Modi welcomed one and all with equal warmth, despite differences in ideologies.

In the Parliamentarian meeting at the Central Hall of Parliament on May 20, Narendra Modi had said,"now that the elections are over, we should keep enimity between parties at bay and work jointly toward progress. Its not that the previous government has done nothing and it is also not true that whatever they have done is wrong. We have to accept their strongpoints and decisions and get along together."

True to his words, Modi reached out to Rahul, who was sitting in the eighth row of the Central Hall of Parliament along with senior Congress leaders Jairam Ramesh and Motilal Vohra. As soon as the PM came close to Gandhi, he reached out to him for a handshake and the two exchanged a few words.

In fact, Congress President Sonia Gandhi was also seen engaged in a discussion with BJP leader LK Advani who was seated right next to her.