Rahul hits back at PM: "Modi insults me, my family, but I still hugged him"

The prime minister made an empty promise of loan waiver to farmers, but wrote off bank dues of his industrialist-friends, he charged.

A picture of the hug between Rahul Gandhi and PM Narendra Modi in Lok Sabha last year.

Ajmer (Rajasthan):  Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Thursday hit back at PM Narendra Modi saying he hugged the prime minister despite facing rash of insults by him. “Modi insults me, my family and Congress party, but I hugged him in Parliament; hatred can be defeated only by love,” Gandhi said. Referring to Rahul’s surprise gesture last year to walk across the floor of the House to hug Modi and later wink, the Prime Minister on Wednesday said he had learnt the difference between “gale lagna” (hugging) and “gale padna” (piling on someone). “I also witnessed winking in the House,” he added. Meanwhile, Gandhi said every section of society, be it farmers, youths or small-scale traders, suffered under the Modi government and they should get justice. He said while addressing a two-day meet of the All India Congress Seva Dal here. When the Congress returned to power in Rajasthan, the state government waived farm loans, Gandhi was quoted by news agency PTI. The prime minister made an empty promise of loan waiver to farmers, but wrote off bank dues of his industrialist-friends, he charged.