PM Modi was taken aback when I showed affection: Rahul Gandhi in Germany

Hamburg, Aug 22: Congress president Rahul Gandhi, who is in Hamburg, Germany, on Wednesday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was taken when he showed affection. Rahul further said that responding to hate with hate was foolish.

"Basic idea is that if someone hates you, it is something that they are doing, responding to it with hate is foolish, it won't solve any problem. You are in full control of how you react," Rahul said in Hamburg when asked about him hugging PM Modi in Parliament.

Last month, immediately after completing his speech in Lok Sabha during debate on the no-confidence motion, Rahul Gandhi walked across the Well of the House and gave a warm hug to Prime Minister Modi.

"Non-violence in India is a founding philosophy of our nationhood&essence of being an Indian. PM was making hateful remarks at me,I showed affection,he was taken aback. Even some of them (my Party members) didn't like it and I disagreed with them," he said.

"Both my father and grandmother were killed, I have suffered violence. There is only one way forward and that is forgiveness," he added.

Addressing a gathering at the Kampnagel Theater, Bucerius Summer School in Hamburg, Germany, Rahul said, there is a big job problem in India but the prime minister refuses to see it. Attacking the Modi govt on demonetisation he said, "They imposed demonetisation and destroyed the cash flow in the economy which left thousands of people unemployed."