Rahul Gandhi takes a jibe at Modi's foreign policy

While addressing the Rachnatmak Congress National Convention on Thursday, Gandhi implied through an act that Prime Minister Modi's foreign policy was largely about hugging foreign leaders.

The Congress MP staged a hug with his party colleague Sandeep Dikshit, who then asked rhetorically, "...Did he hug thinking of Meloni (Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni)?"

Dikshit's remark appeared to leave Gandhi slightly uncomfortable. The LoP smiled and replied, "No, I haven't reached there yet."

Modi-Meloni camaraderie sparks online chatter

For the uninitiated, Modi's camaraderie with his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni has sparked considerable online chatter and become one of the most discussed personal equations involving global leaders.

Social media users have often portrayed their camaraderie humorously, while both leaders have at times responded positively to the online discussions surrounding their interactions.

BJP hits back

Reacting to Gandhi's act, BJP IT Cell head Amit Malviya called his remarks "disgraceful" and alleged that they reflected the Congress' declining political discourse.

Malviya wrote on X, "The disgraceful and slanderous remarks by LoP @RahulGandhi and Congress leader @_SandeepDikshit targeting the Prime Minister, mocking his foreign policy and dragging a foreign woman leader into a defamatory public taunt show just how low the Congress has sunk.

"When personal abuse replaces political argument, the Congress only further erodes its credibility as a mainstream political party. The rot in the Congress's political discourse is unmistakable and electorally, it will come at a cost."