Jaipur, June 12 -- Former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot on Wednesday sought to signal a possible end to the political tensions with his former deputy Sachin Pilot as he said they "were never distant", while the latter highlighted the need "to look at the future with hope". The senior Congress leader's comments came at a memorial held in Dausa, Rajasthan, to mark the death anniversary of former Union minister and Sachin Pilot's father Rajesh Pilot. Earlier on Saturday, Sachin met Gehlot at his Jaipur residence to extend invitation for the event, sparking buzz on a possible reconciliation between the two leaders. "Ham dur kab the? Ham dur the hi nahi. Prem mohabbat bani rahti hai aur bani rahegi. (When were we ever far apart? We were never distant. Love and affection remain and will continue to remain)," Gehlot told reporters at the Dausa event. Remembering Rajesh Pilot, Gehlot said that he and Pilot were together in Parliament and his commitment towards the farmers and the poor is still remembered. "Today we are paying tribute to him. Look at the enthusiasm of the people. Young as well as elderly people have come. Those who have worked with him have also come. People who have heard about him have also come. This gathering in itself is a message about the kind of personality he was. I have worked with him and memories of that time have also been refreshed today," Gehlot said. Wednesday's event was the first such public appearance of the two leaders at an informal event, since Pilot revolted against Gehlot in 2020, claiming the support of 18 MLAs and plunging the state into a crisis. Following the Pilot's rebellion, Gehlot used terms such as "traitor" and "worthless" for his deputy. Amid the tussle, Pilot was removed from the post of deputy CM. Speaking at Wednesday's event, Pilot said that there was "no ice" between him and Gehlot. "We all have to work together. Congress is the only alternative who can challenge the BJP. It is a big challenge for the country for which we all have to work unitedly. Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge have also been saying it constantly. We are all together in Rajasthan as well. It is not a big deal if there are some differences of working style between two people. We, all, can work together. It was my father's death anniversary today. It was not a political programme. But I am happy that all the leaders came together. I want everyone in Congress across the country to walk together in this way," Pilot told a news channel in an interview. "The past cannot be revised. Raat gayi so baat gayi. We need to look at the future with hope. We have to make strategies together for the future now. We have a long road to fight ahead. There will be good results in the future if we are together. It was not that bad performance in the last election. But we will hope for a better one in future," he said. The possible thaw was welcomed by Congress leaders. Former minister Hemaram Chaudhary said, "We have been waiting for this moment. It is not a good thing if there is any rift inside the party. With this unity, Congress will come back to power." Congress leader Ved Prakash Solanki said, "Many party workers, divided over the years, smiled unitedly after this meeting of Sachin Pilot and Ashok Gehlot. We always stood with Pilot...all the genuine workers of the Congress were in Dausa and accepted the invitation to come and see the two leaders together. They all came to see the Congress united again." The ceremony, which included a tribute and an exhibition on Rajesh Pilot's life and legacy, was attended by several Congress leaders including AICC Rajasthan in-charge Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa....