New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi walked across the aisle to greet opposition members after congratulating Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for presenting her fourth successive Union Budget. Narendra Modi was seen interacting with Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders Sudeep Bandyopadhyay and Saugata Roy in the Well of the House. He met them after the Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day.
Both Roy and Bandyopadhyay took the opportunity to voice their grievances against West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankar. They requested Modi to replace the governor. Roy later said he asked the prime minister to recall Dhankar, who is involved in a public spat with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
Modi was also seen engrossed in a chat with Congress members Kodikunnil Suresh from Kerala and Francisco Sardinha from Goa. Sardinha said the prime minister was inquiring about the Goa Liberation Day function held in December, where he was among the few attendees from the Congress.
Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi had walked out of the Lok Sabha soon after the presentation of the Budget.
The prime minister also warmly greeted Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and was seen shaking hands with former Telecom Minister A Raja.
Modi was also seen exchanging greetings with former Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah, DMK member Dayanidhi Maran and RSP member NK Premachandran. YSRCP member Krishna Devarayulu Lavu and Independent member Navneet Rana too were seen greeting the prime minister.