“With Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu visiting India, we look forward to more hugs from PM Modi! #Hugplomacy,” the Congress had said in the tweet. “With Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu visiting India, we look forward to more hugs from PM Modi! #Hugplomacy,” the Congress had said in the tweet.

Taking a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for hugging world leaders while meeting them, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Monday said he should rather hug farmers and soldiers. Gandhi tweeted a sarcastic poem over Modi’s ‘hugplomacy’. “खुद को बताते हैं जो बहुत ‘आम’ ‘खास’ को ही गले लगाना उनका काम मोदीजी, ऐसी भी क्या मजबूरी गले लगाने वालों में किसान मजदूर और जवान का होना भी है ज़रूरी. (One who calls himself ordinary, hugs only those who are special. Farmers and soldiers should also be in the list of those to be hugged by Modi ji),” tweeted Gandhi.

Recently in an interview, when asked about his trademark hugs to world leaders, Modi had said he was unaware of laid down protocols as he is a common man and this has become his strength. He also asserted that his openness was liked by the world leaders.

खुद को बताते हैं जो बहुत ‘आम’

‘खास’ को ही गले लगाना उनका काम

मोदीजी, ऐसी भी क्या मजबूरी

गले लगाने वालों में

किसान मजदूर और जवान का होना भी है ज़रूरीhttps://t.co/GXAg36cOIU — Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) January 22, 2018

“I do not know all the protocols as I am a common man. The openness of this common man is liked by the world. Friendly relations come in handy,” he said in the interview to Zee news.

Earlier last week, the Congress tweeted a video mocking PM Modi for hugging world leaders while carrying the hashtag “Hugplomacy”. “With Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu visiting India, we look forward to more hugs from PM Modi! #Hugplomacy,” the Congress had said in the tweet.

With Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu visiting India, we look forward to more hugs from PM Modi! #Hugplomacy pic.twitter.com/M3BKK2Mhmf — Congress (@INCIndia) January 14, 2018

The tweet did not go down well with the BJP as Union Human Resource Development minister and senior BJP leader Prakash Javadekar reacted strongly, saying it showed the Congress’s lack of political sensibility.

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