The Shiv Sena on Tuesday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's gesture of walking up to his Pakistan counterpart Nawaz Sharif and shaking hands with him on the sidelines of the recently held Climate Summit in Paris, France, indicated his 'tolerance'.

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"During their meeting in Paris, Modi himself walked up to Nawaz Sharif and shook hands; it shows the tolerance of our Prime Minister. Under the prevailing atmosphere in the country, where Modi is being criticised, it should be understood that to meet the Prime Minister of a country which is spreading terrorism is the most tolerant thing he has done. Such discussions should be stopped," Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut told ANI.

Modi and Sharif had a brief meeting during which they warmly held hands before sitting down for a chat amidst frosty ties between the two neighbours.

Downplaying the chance encounter, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Vikas Swarup said, "this was a brief exchange of courtesies in the Leaders Lounge. Prime Minister meets many Heads of State/Government."

After his meeting with Modi, Sharif told Pakistani media that the talks were held in a "good way, in a good environment".

"I had good discussions with the Indian Prime Minister in a good way, in a good environment and even they have expressed that we should take our issues forward. And we also have the same opinion and hope," he said.

"Pakistan desires better bilateral relations with India," he said.

(With ANI-PTI inputs)