Thrishur,May 27 (NDTV): Rahul Gandhi today posed for selfies with fishermen in Kerala, embracing the new favourite of politicians aiming for an instant connect with the masses.

The 44-year-old Congress leader, on the second day of his Kerala visit, let a group of young men take a picture with him while his security men kept an eye. He had earlier shared a meal of fish curry-rice with locals.

On Tuesday, Mr Gandhi was at the receiving end of barbs from union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, who had said that "Prime Minister Narendra Modi should not be blamed" for nobody taking photographs with the Congress leader.

"Wherever Modiji goes, people want their photographs to be taken with him, including leaders," Mr Prasad said.

He used similar comments to hit back at Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who had commented in his column on NDTV.com: "He (Modi) has more selfies than all the ministers in his cabinet put together... What the people voted for was selfless leadership and what they have got is selfie leadership."

Mr Prasad retorted: "If people are not clicking selfies with Nitish then we can only wish him all the best."

PM Modi's selfies became quite the rage during his visit to China, but left opposition parties unimpressed.

The prime minister posted a selfie with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang that was billed as "the selfie of the world's two mightiest" by Forbes.

"Modi promised selfless government, one year later we see a selfie prime minister,' quipped former minister Jairam Ramesh.