BJP lambasts Congress for mocking PM Modi's 'hugplomacy'

Lambasting Congress for mocking Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'hugplomacy' in a meme video on Twitter, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday said sarcastically that the video showed the "new" thinking of the grand old party under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi.

"The video is absolutely despicable. It is making fun of the Prime Minister of India that too with the other global leaders of the countries with whom we have good relations. This is a new thinking of the Congress Party under the supervision of Rahul Gandhi. It must be condemned in every possible manner," senior BJP leader Nalin Kohli told ANI.

He added that the video has not been made in India, as the kind of music and reaction shown of the people were not Indians.

"This is a thinking which is alien to India as in India we greet with warmth and hugging is a part of our friendly nature. Making fun of the Prime Minister by the Congress Party for something which is very Indian and is a part of our culture and that too tweeting it, is condemnable. The video is clearly made in abroad," Kohli stated.

Another BJP leader Sambit Patra said the tweet was absolutely appalling.

"This is not the way you talk about the Indian Prime Minister and that too when foreign dignitary, Israel Prime Minister is on the Indian soil. The entire world is watching as what is happening to India and Israel relationship. Is this the way main Opposition party of India behaves?" he asked.

Patra further said the Congress has been consistent in abusing Prime Minister Modi.

"First they called him 'Neech' (a low life) and earlier they said "Tu Jake Chai Bech" (go and sell tea) and now we have this kind of tweet. Is this the understanding of the Congress Party as far as the foreign policy is concerned?" he questioned.

Earlier in the day, the Congress mocked Prime Minister Narendra Modi by posting a video on Twitter, with a tagline 'hugplomacy', after he received his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu at an airport here.

In the video, the Congress ridiculed Prime Minister Modi's ways of hugging with several world leaders by describing them with comic tags along with gifs.

The Israeli premier, who is on a maiden visit to India, is accompanied by his wife Sara and a 130-member delegation from various sectors, including cyber, agriculture and defence.

Netanyahu will be visiting Delhi, Agra, Gujarat and Mumbai, and he will be accompanied by the Indian Prime Minister on extensive portions of his visit.