Narendra Modi reaches out to Rahul Gandhi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday appeared to have shed the aggressive posturing he displayed during the election campaign when he reached out to Rahul Gandhi in the Central Hall ahead of President Pranab Mukherjee's address to a joint session of the Parliament.

On seeing Rahul seated in the eighth row, Modi broke away from the escort leading the President to the dais, and held Rahul's hand. After an acrimonious election campaign, where both Modi and Rahul attacked each other, this was perhaps the first time that both came face-to-face.

The Congress vice-president, who got up, was all smiles while shaking hands with Modi. Earlier, on the first day of the session last week, Modi had warmly greeted Sonia Gandhi, Mulayam Singh Yadav and Trinamool Congress' Saugata Roy on Wednesday in Parliament.