Two days after the Congress ousted BJP from power in three Hindi heartland states, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress president Rahul Gandhi were very close to each other at a function in Parliament on Thursday but did not exchange any word.
The two leaders were in Parliament for an event to pay tribute to the martyrs of the 2001 Parliament attack.
Modi was seen exchanging words and greetings with his predecessor and Congress leader Manmohan Singh. However, no pleasantries were exchanged between the prime minister and the Congress president.
Union minister Vijay Goel and Minister of State for Social Justice Minister Ramdas Athawale shook hands with the Congress president.
Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, BJP veteran L K Advani and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi were also present at the event.
They offered petals on portraits of the martyrs killed in the attack 17 years ago on this day.
On December 13, 2001, five heavily armed gunmen stormed the Parliament complex and opened fire.
Five Delhi police personnel, a woman constable of the Central Reserve Police Force, two members of the Parliament, a gardener and a cameraman lost their lives in the attack.
(With PTI Inputs)