Rahul's gesture of hugging PM a sent good message: Pawar

Rahul Gandhi's gesture of hugging Narendra Modi in the Lok Sabha yesterday has sent a good message, NCP supremo Sharad Pawar today said, while advising the prime minister not to target political rivals from "foreign soil".

"Yesterday, a young man hugged an elderly person. One needs to understand that this has sent out a good message," Pawar said, speaking at an NCP conclave here.

Gandhi, after tearing into the NDA government's policies and programmes during the discussion on no-trust motion in Parliament yesterday, which was eventually defeated, walked across the aisle to where Modi was sitting and hugged him.

Pawar also praised Gandhi's statement that the prime minister might hate him, but he does not reciprocate in the same way. "This is a good message, that despite political differences, everybody should unite for the country's progress," Pawar said.

Modi should understand the difference between election rallies and government functions, he said.

"When you go abroad, you are the prime minister and our representative. But you raise domestic political issues and target your political adversaries on foreign soil, constantly referring to a 'family'," said the former Union minister,