Congress president Rahul Gandhi had left everyone stunned when after hitting out at the Bharatiya Janata Party-led NDA government during the no-confidence motion debate on Friday, he walked across to the treasury benches and gave a hug to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Congress chief later winked at fellow MP Jyotiraditya Scindia too.

Now, a Bharatiya Janata Party leader has claimed that the Congress chief did so on the advice of a tantrik. BJP Delhi spokesperson Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga tweeted that a Congress MP, who is his close friend, told him that a “tantrik told Rahul Gandhi If you want to become PM you have to touch PM Chair at any cost after ending ur speech. #HugDrama”.

Rahul Gandhi’s act had upset Speaker Sumitra Mahajan who immediately underlined that the code of conduct be followed inside the House. "I have not an iota of hatred or hard feelings against you. You hate me. You may call me Pappu, you can use a stream of expletives for me. But I don't hate you or have even slightest of anger for you. I am the Congress," Gandhi had said while concluding his around 40-minute speech.

He then went to the PM and hugged Modi. The Congress chief was heard telling the Prime Minister to get up. When the PM remained seated, the Congress president bent over and hugged him.

As Rahul was leaving, the PM called him back, shook hands and patted his back. Later without naming the Congress president, the PM took a dig at Rahul and said, “In a democracy, don’t be in a hurry. A person was eager for this seat, wanted me to get up. What’s the hurry, people decide who sits on the seat.”