Patna: RJD national spokesperson Shankar Charan Tripathi has slammed Congress president Rahul Gandhi for his act of hugging the Prime Minister, and later winking, during the no-confidence motion moved by the TDP in Lok Sabha on Friday

The Congress is an ally of the RJD in Bihar and so an RJD leader slamming the Congress' national president has the potential to damage cordial ties between the two parties.

Tripathi said Rahul's act was childish and unexpected from a person who considers himself a prime ministerial candidate in 2019. He praised Rahul's speech, but claimed his last act of hugging the Prime Minister and winking completely washed away his speech.

"He has been a parliamentarian for the past 15 years," Tripathi told The Telegraph over phone. "It was not expected from a leader like him to wink on the floor of the House. So many cameras are installed in the house. Ward and watch people are also there. In such a situation he winked. His act was akin to that of Priya Prakash Varrier, whose act of winking in a clip of the movie Oru Adaar Love propped her to stardom."

Tripathi, however, said he was making his comment in his personal capacity. "I am a well-wishers of the RJD and if something is wrong I will definitely raise the issue, because I do not want to be party to a sin," Tripathi said. An astrologer hailing from Uttar Pradesh, Tripathi has given plenty of advice to Lalu and his family.

"Rahul spoke the best, but if something is wrong I will definitely raise it," Tripathi said. "The entire nation and universe were watching him but he completely ruined it towards the end. His act of hugging the Prime Minister was not polite. Rather it was an extreme act. He should not have done this. His speech was full of anger and hatred and showed up the ruling party as his enemy. How can he then go and hug his enemy?"

It is not the first time, Tripathi spoke against the party line. He had earlier called RJD chief Lalu Prasad's sons impolite. On Saturday, too, he said Tej Pratap should have not offered a silver crown to Tejashwi Prasad Yadav at the RJD foundation day programme. "I was also disappointed the way Tej Pratap said that he was the most senior master present on stage that day (July 5). I was surprised that no senior leader present on the dais raised their voice but I will raise it," Tripathi asserted.

Tejashwi, too, had raised the issue of Rahul's speech and his winking on Friday but he had praised it. He had tweeted saying: "Oh that wink my friend! Hit them hard where it hurts..Congratulations for unearthing their mines of lies & a fantastic speech @RahulGandhi."

JDU MLC Neeraj Kumar mocked at Tripathi, saying if an astrologer and palmist are given important posts, neglecting dedicated workers, such things are bound to happen. "When Lalu Prasad got convicted in corruption cases, he lost faith in the judiciary and pushed the RJD to such a condition that an astrologer and palmist are becoming party spokespersons. If political workers are neglected and immature people are made spokespersons, then accident of party line is bound to happen," Neeraj said.