IN PICTURES | Rahul Gandhi hugs unwilling Narendra Modi, winks; Speaker Sumitra Mahajan annoyed

Unlike chess, a Parliament debate offers the advantage to the one who plays last. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with his long speech playing out at prime time, found enough biting wit and aplomb in his rhetoric to even the scores — as he was expected to. And the numbers in the end — 325 Noes and 126 Ayes — offered the NDA a resounding win. But the real surprises of Friday’s no-confidence motion debate perhaps still lay in the first half.

Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Friday surprised the Lok Sabha when after bitterly criticising the BJP-led government during the no-confidence motion, he walked across to the treasury benches and hugged Prime Minister Narendra Modi. (Photo | PTI) 

While the Congress MPs thumped their desks in appreciation of Gandhi's gesture as he walked back to his seat, a visibly displeased Speaker Sumitra Mahajan underlined that the code of conduct inside the House did not approve of such behaviour, especially Gandhi's winking at a fellow MP after the hug. (Photo | PTI)

'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 said at the end of his nearly 40-minute fiery speech. (Photo | PTI)

Accusing Modi of lying to the nation and making empty rhetoric 'jumlas' to deceive the poor of the country, he also lashed out at the government and questioned Modi's silence over women not feeling safe in the country and people from the minority communities being lynched. (Photo | PTI)

Resuming his speech after a brief adjournment, Gandhi said opposition members and even some MPs from the treasury side congratulated him for speaking 'really well'. (Photo | PTI)

He then walked across to the ruling benches and hugged Modi who was taken by surprise. The Congress leader was heard telling the Prime Minister to get up and allow him to do 'pranaam' to him. (Photo | PTI)

Modi was taken aback as the Congress President bent over, threw his arms around him and hugged him. (Photo | PTI)

After recovering from an apparent shock moment, the Prime Minister called Gandhi back towards him and the two shook hands. He patted Gandhi on his back and exchanged a word or two with him, smilingly. (Photo | PTI)

As the opposition members gave Gandhi a standing ovation and thumped their desks, Mahajan said the rules of the House did not encourage such a conduct inside the House. (Photo | PTI)

Rahul Gandhi was seen winking at a fellow Congress MP. Gandhi's unexpected hug followed by a wink quickly grabbed headlines in almost all Indian news channels and websites. (Photo | PTI)