Protests over price rise in Parliament today
As the opposition Congress on Monday protested loudly in Parliament over price rise, their leader Rahul Gandhi, who has rarely stood out in Parliament, caught the ruling BJP's eye.
Mr Gandhi was seen rising to his feet and rolling up his sleeves as his party MPs shouted slogans against the government. He walked down the aisle and stood next to his mother Sonia Gandhi in the front bench, but stopped short of joining slogan-shouting MPs at the centre of the house.
The 44-year-old, who is seen as a "back-bencher" in Parliament, was seated in the third row of the opposition benches.
When reporters asked BJP's Rajiv Pratap Rudy to comment on the Congress number two, he said, "I was a little surprised. At least after going to the opposition, Rahul was heard speaking some words in English. He was seen shouting slogans of 'shame, shame' in a very agitated manner. For the entire House it was a new beginning and he began with 'shame, shame'. People of the country are watching everything."
Congress leaders, however, emphatically denied that Rahul had ever shouted slogans or joined the "shame" chorus.
Asked about Mr Gandhi's role in the House drama, senior Congress leader Kamal Nath said, "Well, Rahul Gandhi is an active part of the opposition."
The Congress vice president has kept a low profile since he led the party's disastrous campaign in the national election. After the party's worst-ever defeat - its tally was reduced to only 44 seats across India - some Congress leaders targeted Mr Gandhi and hinted that the party's reins should be handed over to Sonia Gandhi or Rahul's charismatic sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.
Both Sonia and Rahul Gandhi refused the Leader of Opposition's post. Mrs Gandhi said yesterday her party is entitled to the post as the single largest opposition party.