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PM-Advani cold war reaches a crescendo

April 14, 2009 14:40 IST

Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and Bharatiya Janata Party's prime ministerial candidate LK Advani, who have been indulging on a verbal assault on each other at campaign rallies, came face to face on Tuesday at a function inside Parliament House to offer floral tributes to Dr BR Ambedkar on Tuesday.

Though initially the two leaders ignored each other when they crossed paths, at one point Dr Singh extended his hand to greet the Leader of Opposition.

Almost all television cameras immediately focused on the handshake. Dr Singh's hands appeared to be shaky, possibly due to his recent heart operation. Advani also seemed to be unable to comprehend the sudden gesture from the prime minister.

Eager news photographers rushed to get the picture of the day -- Dr Singh and Advani in one camera frame.

A Delhi Correspondent