In an unexpected turn of events, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi shared a cordial moment during an informal tea meeting in the Parliament complex on Friday. The meeting took place after the Lok Sabha was adjourned a day ahead of the scheduled end of the Budget session, which was set to conclude on August 12. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla announced the adjournment sine die, marking the end of the session for an indefinite period.Witnesses to the meeting reported that the two leaders greeted each other with a traditional namaste and shared smiles for the cameras. The Prime Minister was seen seated on a sofa alongside Speaker Om Birla, while Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition, occupied a chair to Modis right.The gathering included prominent figures from both sides of the political spectrum. Ministers Kiren Rijiju, Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu, Chirag Paswan, and Piyush Goyal were present, along with opposition MPs Sudip Bandyopadhyay and Kanimozhi. On the opposite side of Gandhi were Amit Shah and Rajnath Singh. The scene also featured a server bringing a tea tray as the leaders engaged in conversation.Contrast to previous tensionsThis warm interaction was a stark contrast to the recent heated exchanges between Modi and Gandhi in the Lok Sabha. Just a few weeks prior, both leaders had engaged in a bitter exchange of words during a parliamentary session. The friendly atmosphere of this tea meeting highlighted a rare moment of détente amid the ongoing political rivalry and contentious election campaigns.
