Rahul Gandhi hugs PM Modi after sharp attack

Rahul Gandhi is known for his hugs, but this was one hug Prime Minister Narendra Modi was not expecting.

After a no-holds-barred and scathing criticism of Modi on several issues including Rafale jet deal on Friday, Congress president Rahul Gandhi walked across the green-carpeted well of Lok Sabha to Modi and hugged him, a gesture which took the Treasury Bench members by surprise.

Just before wrapping up, Rahul strode over to Modi for the now-famous hug. Modi initially looked nonplussed and did not stand up to hug him, but recovered quickly and called Gandhi back and patted him on the back.

He also appeared to say a few words, which were inaudible.

"This is what it means to be a Hindu," Gandhi said after coming back to his seat amid applause from his party members, including his mother Sonia Gandhi and other leaders present who heartily thumped their desks.

Sharply criticised for his reported remarks that "Congress is a Muslim party", Gandhi said, "Prime Minister Modi, BJP and ...have taught me what it means to be a Congressperson, the meaning of being a real Indian, and what it means to be a real Hindu. For this, I thank them."

He also said his opponents may hate him, call him "Pappu" but he has no anger, hatred against the Prime Minister and the Bharatiya Janata Party.

This is likely the first time that an opposition leader has hugged the prime minister in the house, especially during a no-confidence motion.

Meanwhile, Akali Dal leader Harsimrat Kaur stood up and took objection to Gandhi's hug.

Before the famous hug, Rahul Gandhi attacked NDA government on issues where he felt it failed since 2014 in his speech whic was interuppted several times BJP members.

Gandhi charged the government of causing hardships to the common man through its policies. "Youth in India trusted Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In his every speech, he (PM) said he will give jobs to two crore youth but only four lakh people have got jobs, rest are still unemployed," Gandhi said. He compared the status of employment with China which gives jobs to 50,000 people in 24 hours.

Criticising the government for demonetisation and Goods and Services Tax (GST), Gandhi said that the government policies have impacted several businesses.

"The government seems to have forgotten that most of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) operate in cash. I went to Surat where traders told me that they have been the worst affected. They did not stop with demonetisation, they came up with GST. We wanted a single rate of GST. But you came up with multiple rates, you raided small traders and made life hell for them," Gandhi said.

"There is a global opinion that India has for the first time in its history not been able to protect its women. This derogatory global opinion has been formed for the first time in India's history. Women have been killed, exploited in large numbers but Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not spoken a word about it," pointed out Gandhi.

Criticising Prime Minister Modi over his foreign policy, Gandhi mentioned the visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to India. While President Jinping was here, Chinese soldiers entered India and a few days later they were in Doklam.

He added that while Indian soldiers held the fort against the Chinese soldiers PM Modi let them down by not raising the issue with the Chinese side.