'Na idhar udhar ki tu baat kar' to 'Tu mera shauk dekh': Best of Sushma-Manmohan's Lok Sabha rivalry

The Indian parliament has been a witness to many political banters that find origin in one of 'Nehru vs Vajpayee' debates when the later said the then prime minister that 'in him he finds both Chamberlain and Churchill'. Unlike contemporary politics, the statesman in Jawahar Lal Nehru didn't find it offensive and patted Atal Bihari Vajpayee who went on to become the prime minister.

The glorious parliamentary legacy has continued since then. In 2011, the leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Sushma Swaraj took on the then prime minister, Manmohan Singh and his government for not doing enough for the nation. The seasoned politician in Sushma made the dispensation realise the resistance an opposition can offer.

On March 2011, Sushma attacked the then PM for passing the buck on scandals like commonwealth games, 2G spectrum, reciting the Urdu couplet, "Na idhar udhar ki tu baat kar, ye bataa ki kaafila kyun luta. Hamein rahjano se gila nahin, teri rahbari ka sawaal hai."(Meaning:  Don't talk about this and that, apprise us why caravan was looted. We are not worried about the character of passerby rather it is all about your leadership)      

Giving the Congress MPs an opportunity to create guffaws in parliament, Manmohan Singh responded, "Maana ki tere deed ke kaabil nahin hoon main, tu mera shauk dekh, mera intezar dekh." (Meaning: I know I am not worth looking at, but look at my overtures and my anticipation)

Today, when Sushma Swaraj is on her final abode, it is same Manmohan Singh, who once faced Swaraj's fiery attack, paying tributes to his staunchest of rivals.

As external affairs minister, Swaraj brought a sense of assertiveness in India's diplomacy and played a key role in resolving many issues. She had also played a key role in strengthening BJP across the country in 1990s.