- The PM and the Congress MP interacted at the Parliament complex
- They, and other leaders, had gathered to pay tribute to reformer Mahatma Jyotirao Phule
- Sources said the PM asked Gandhi about the health of his mother, Sonia Gandhi
A video of a public, cordial conversation between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi - a rarity in India's current polarised politics - has gone viral on social media.
The PM and the Congress MP were among leaders who had gathered at the Parliament complex on Saturday to pay tribute to social reformer Mahatma Jyotirao Phule on his 200th birth anniversary.
The video shows Prime Minister Modi greeting Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Union Ministers JP Nadda and Arjun Ram Meghwal, Gandhi and others, and then stopping to speak to the Leader of the Opposition.
Sources said the Prime Minister asked Gandhi about the health of his mother and former Congress president Sonia Gandhi, who was hospitalised recently.
"Gandhi informed him that her health is improving. In response, the Prime Minister expressed his satisfaction and extended his best wishes," said a source.
Sonia Gandhi was discharged from the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital on March 31 after recovering from a systemic infection (when pathogens enter the bloodstream and spread throughout the body). She had been admitted with a fever on March 24.
Taking to X on Saturday morning, PM Modi described Phule as a "guiding light" and said his emphasis on education, learning and welfare of all is relevant in today's age.
After paying tribute to the reformer, the PM wrote, "Paid homage to Mahatma Phule in the Parliament complex. May his ideals continue to give strength and hope to countless people."
