Rahul showed mirror of love, compassion to PM, BJP through hug: Cong

The Congress today said Rahul Gandhi has shown the mirror of love and compassion to Prime Minister Narendra Modi with his hug and has given the country a new political discourse that can bind it together.

"Let them spread hatred, we will spread love, let them spread division, we will spread compassion, let they spread venom, we will spread cohabitation. For, we are the Congress and we are Indians and humanity," Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said.

He said Gandhi described Hinduism and 'Hindustaniat' as the one which loved even the worst enemies, for that is the innate strength of Indian culture.

"A new political discourse has now been set as a valid alternative to the culture of hatred and division as espoused by the prime minister and the BJP," he said.

He said in the current atmosphere where everything and everyone have been divided by the Modi government on grounds of religion, caste, colour, creed, region, language and even food habits, "Rahul ji set a new political discourse for rebinding the country by affection and cohabitation, on the lines of what Mahatma Gandhi had said".

Gandhi hugged Modi and later appeared to wink in some dramatic moments in the Lok Sabha, capping his blistering attack on the BJP mascot, accusing him of being a bhagidar' (collaborator) in corruption and not a 'chowkidar' and saying people were victims of his 'jumla' strikes.

Gandhi's no-holds barred attack at Modi on a range of issues including the controversial Rafale jet deal in his hour-long speech during a debate on the no-confidence motion against the government often sparked loud protests from the treasury benches, but it was his walk across the green-carpeted Well of House at the end to hug Modi that left almost everyone, not the least the prime minister, surprised.

Modi shook Gandhi's hands but ignored his call to stand so that he could hug the BJP leader. The Congress chief, however, embraced him as he remained seated.