Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday took a dig at Rahul Gandhi's unexpected hug in the Lok Sabha and said he was left surprised by the gesture of the Congress president.
Speaking in the lower house of the Parliament, the prime minister said, "I was surprised at Rahul Gandhi's excitement to come and hug me. What is the hurry? You should trust the people in a democracy. Some people are in a rush to get to the treasury benches."
Prime Minister Modi also took a jibe at Rahul Gandhi's 'earthquake' remark from 2016. "Some said the PM won't be able to stand for more than 15 minutes in the house. I am standing here and I am proud of the work that I have done. Even before the count was over, people walked up to my desk and wanted me to stand up. They should know that nobody can make someone sit or leave. It is the country which decides this," the PM said. This was in response to a statement Rahul Gandhi made in 2016 where he said the Parliament will jolt if he (Modi) is given 15 minutes to speak.
Earlier in the day, Rahul Gandhi, after ending his speech moved across the floor to get to the treasury benches to the prime minister and hugged him. The prime minister too exchanged pleasantries with the Congress chief.
Continuing his tirade against the Congress, Prime Minister Modi said it is the floor test for the Congress and its so-called friends and allies.
"This is not a floor test for the government. It is a floor test for the Congress and its so-called friends and allies. No confidence motion is an attempt to keep their flock together. The only aim is to remove a single Modi. Trust your allies and friends just as much you distrust the government," he said.
Modi also countered Rahul Gandhi's attack on the Doklam issue and said, "Sometimes we should not touch upon issues that are beyond us. We should not talk about things that we don't know."
Rahul Gandhi raked up the Doklam stand-off in Parliament, saying, " The Indian Army stood its grind, but Prime Minister Modi buckled under pressure from China."
"When the Chinese President comes to India, Modi sits with him on a swing in Gujarat. After that he goes back to China and sends his troops to Doklam. The Indian Army goes to Doklam and stands bravely against the Chinese," he added, claiming that PM went to China with no agenda.
Reacting to charges on the Rafale deal, Modi said, "Attacking two nations at the same time with some childish allegations, what kind of maturity is this? Rafale issue was discussed. I can't believe the truth can be crushed like this. Both the nations were forced to issue statements over this childish behavior. They are screaming without any proof. People have given you a chance to improve. Every soldier would have been wounded by the words of the opposition."
Rahul Gandhi raised the controversial Rafale deal in Parliament while accusing Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman of lying to the nation quoting the 'secrecy clause' in the pact.
"The defence minister has clearly lied under pressure from the PM. Everybody knows the relationship that Prime Minister Modi has with a few business people, and everyone can see the amount of money that goes into his marketing. One of them was given the Rafale contract. Prime Minister Modi has not been truthful and that is a fact," Rahul Gandhi claimed.
Prime Minister Modi further poked fun at Gandhi over his winking act in Lok Sabha and said, "Talking about eyes, we have seen quite a lot of eye movement today."
Not only this, Prime Minister Modi also dragged Sonia Gandhi into this by calling her arrogant to have claimed that numbers in the Parliament are in Congress' favour.
Modi further said that he indeed could not see eye to eye with the Congress leadership as he was not a "naamdar" (from a privileged background) like the Congress chief.
He said that there was long list of people who tried to see eye to eye with the "first family" and were "humiliated" as a result, including former President Pranab Mukherjee.
"He (Rahul) says I cannot see eye to eye with him. Yes, I cannot do so because I am not a naamdar. I come from a poor background, I am not privileged like you," Modi said while replying to the no-confidence motion moved by the opposition.
"It is widely known what happened to those who tried to see eye to eye with you. What happened to Chadhary Charan Singh, to Chandra Shekhar, Deve Gowda and I.K. Gujaral. What happened to Sharad Pawar and even to Pranab Mukherjee?
"In the past too, those who tried to see eye to eye with you their fate was no different be it Sardar Patel or Subhash Chandra Bose. They were all thrown out, they were humiliated. I cannot see eye to eye with you," Modi said.
Earlier in the day, Gandhi had said Modi could not see eye to eye with him (for his alleged failure to fulfil his promises made to the public).
Modi also urged all the state governments to take strict action against those involved in mob lynching incidents and punish them to curb the menace happening in the country for the last few months.
"Any instance of violence brings shame to the nation. I will once again urge the state governments to punish those who indulge in violence," he said his reply to the debate on the no-confidence motion in the Lok Sabha.