India-ASEAN car rally was thrilling: Tarun Vijay

The rally, which traversed nearly 8,000 km across eight nations, was flagged down by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and heads of state and governments of ASEAN countries at the Vigyan Bhawan here.

The BJP leader said the Prime Minister smiled in surprise when he saw him waving the tricolur from the car at the flagdown ceremony here this morning.

However, Vijay had to take a short break from the 22-day rally when he had to be in the capital to take part in the vote on the discussion on FDI in multi-brand retail in the Rajya Sabha on December 7.

He described the rally as one of the most thrilling experiences he has had in recent times.

"A common thread that binds India and the ASEAN region was visible everywhere throughout the rally be it in language or culture. It felt like one ASEAN family," he said.

Vijay said it was time for India to focus on improving ties with the southeast Asian countries.

An avid car enthusiast, Vijay has taken part in car rallies in Tibet, Beijing and Ladakh.