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‘Let's do it together’: Rahul Gandhi's cheeky infiltration, ministers walk away | Watch
Rahul tried to grab Pralhad Joshi by the arm, saying they could all address the reporters together; Joshi, Vaishnaw scampered away, not willing to engage.
Union ministers Pralhad Joshi and Ashwini Vaishnaw were speaking to reporters in the Parliament compound when Leader of Opposition Rahul walked in, carrying a cheeky smile, hands in cargo pockets. What happened next could be seen as amusing, no matter which side of the divide you're on or not.
“Come, let's do it together,” Rahul said, trying to grab Joshi's arm, saying they could all address the reporters at once. Both ministers scampered away, not willing to engage in front of the press.
Congress's official handles and supporters were among those who shared an edited clip of the moment, using Punjabi songs and “gangsta' moment” tags and filters.
BJP supporters did not see humour in it. They termed Gandhi's behaviour “immature” and “unbecoming” — words the government has been using for his conduct inside the Lok Sabha too.
Rahul's alleged attempt at bonhomie, or at least a moment of it, came when Parliament remains disrupted over his allegations and comments about Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Issues include Gen MM Naravane's unpublished book — manuscript pending for approval with the defence ministry — in which the former army chief has written, according to Rahul, that PM Modi failed to give clear directions when the Chinese approached Indian territory in 2020. The government had disputed these claims, and Delhi Police even registered an FIR over the circulation of the book's PDF version online.
Another issue in the Opposition-government standoff is the India-US trade deal framework. Rahul has accused the government of “selling out” India's interests, as “US President Donald Trump seems to have something on PM Modi that's making him compromise”.
The government has repeatedly said Gandhi is making baseless allegations. Parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju has said the government will bring in a Breach of Privilege motions against him.
Meanwhile, ehe Opposition has already submitted a No-Confidence Motion against LS Speaker Om Birla, accusing him of being biased towards the BJP-led NDA.
