Sharad Pawar (left) and Farooq Abdullah at an older event. (File)
Age was bound to be a punchline when a soon-to-be 85-year-old leader met an 81-year-old to celebrate the birthday of a 75-year-old.
The scene was a gala to celebrate the 75th birth anniversary of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Chhagan Bhujbal, which doubled as a display of the opposition's political camaraderie in Mumbai.
When the NCP's Praful Patel complimented former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah on stage, saying, "You are still young at 85", the former's party boss Sharad Pawar interjected, "He's 58, not 85", drawing chuckles from those present.
Sharad Pawar and Farooq Abdullah on stage at the event.
Besides Mr Abdullah of the National Conference, the event was also attended by former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, and emissaries from Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal United and MK Stalin's DMK.
"We are all with you. From Kashmir to Kanyakumari, the country must be kept united. We are all different, but together we can build India. That is friendship. Our religion may be different, but it unites us," Mr Abdullah said in his message to the audience.