On Instagram, PM Modi is the most followed leader in the world.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Instagram post on meeting a "very special friend" in parliament generated much curiosity on Tuesday. The post came with two images of PM Modi holding a baby.

"A very special friend came to meet me in Parliament today," PM Modi wrote in his teaser post on Instagram, quickly collecting thousands of lives within moments.

Officials said the baby had come with some visitors who had met with the Prime Minister at his office in the parliament building.

In the photos, it was apparent that the child was gleaming at the sight of chocolates on the PM's desk.

On Instagram, PM Modi is the most followed leader in the world. He has over 25 million followers but he follows none.

Among his most-liked Insta photos are one with Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma after their wedding and another from Davos, where he attended the World Economic Forum last year.

On a day Parliament was in the grip of a huge controversy over US President Donald Trump claiming PM Modi had asked him to "mediate" on Kashmir, the photo did inspire some political humour.

Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah tweeted that this was the Prime Minister's response to critics who were demanding that he attend parliament to clarify on Trump's startling claim despite a strong rebuttal from the foreign ministry.

"Cute pictures. While the opposition parties yell themselves hoarse demanding the PM explain last night's mediation brouhaha he lets them know what he thinks of their demand by putting pictures like these on his Instagram feed," tweeted Omar Abdullah.

Cute pictures. While the oppostion parties yell themselves hoarse demanding the PM explain last night's mediation brouhaha he lets them know what he thinks of their demand by putting pictures like these on his Instagram feed ???? https://t.co/8IeRNXXSa0 — Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) July 23, 2019

The jokes continued as users floated theories on the baby's identity. "Media," suggested one person.

The BJP's Anurag Thakur, a Union Minister, silenced many critics with his post: "The future is in safe hands".

The mystery was finally revealed a while later. The baby was BJP parliamentarian Satyanarayan Jatiya's eight-month-old granddaughter Rudrakshi.