Movies, Munnabhai and hugplomacy: All during the Lok Sabha debate

The lawmakers witnessed some fun moments during the debate in Lok Sabha on the no-confidence motion against the Narendra Modi government.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi ended his sharpest attack on the prime minister from the floor of the House with a hug and a wink.

“You can abuse me, you can call me Pappu, but I don’t have a speck of hatred against you,” Gandhi said.

He then walked over to Modi and hugged him. While Gandhi was returning to his seat, Prime Minister Modi was seen calling him back and they exchanged pleasantries.

The Congress leader then walked back to his seat and was seen winking at his partymen.

Gandhi’s ‘hugplomacy’ prompted Akali leader and BJP ally Harsimrat Kaur Badal to say, “Ye sansad hai, ye Munna bhai ka pappi jhappi area nahin hai”.(This is Parliament, This is not a scene from movie Munnabhai)

At this point, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan reminded Badal that she too was smiling when Gandhi went and hugged Modi.

Mahajan later expressed her reservation on how the hug took place: “It’s not okay to do this while he (Narendra Modi) sits in the Prime Minister’s seat. It should not have happened. He is the Prime Minister and everyone must maintain decorum, respect the position. I did not like it, it was inappropriate.”

Home minister Rajnath Singh called Gandhi’s gesture ‘Chipko andolan’

Earlier, PM Modi was seen guffawing when Gandhi said, “PM bahaar mein jaate hain (the PM goes outside),” Gandhi said.

However, what the Congress leader meant by outside was abroad. Gandhi immediately realised his mistake as the laughter became raucous and carried on.

“Bahaar jaate hain matlab hai abroad jaate hain. Obama ke paas, Trumpji ke paas. Magar apna jo security cover hai usse bahar nahi nikalte hain. Pradhan Mantriji ki chhote dukaandaron se, small businesses se baat nahi hoti. Pradhan Mantri ki baat kewal suit-boot wale 15-20 sabse bade businessmen se hoti hai (PM Modi goes abroad but he never comes out of his security cover. He doesn’t speak to small shop owners or business. He only speaks to 15 or 20 big businessmen in suits),” Gandhi continued as the Prime Minister had his laugh.

The House also got a taste of Telugu cinema when TDPMP from Guntur initiated the debate. Jayadev Galla mentioned Telugu blockbuster Bharat Ane Nenu of actor Mahesh Babu in his opening remarks.

In what was probably the first time a movie storyline was narrated in the Lok Sabha, the Guntur MP said, “The latest Telugu blockbuster Bharat Ane Nenu which means ‘I Bharat’ is a story about a young NRI who returns to India after his father, who is a chief minister, dies suddenly. Bharat enters politics reluctantly and becomes a young, dynamic and beloved chief minister.”

“The recurring theme in this movie is about trust and his mother’s advice Bharat keeps recalling. A promise is a promise. If a man makes a promise and does not keep it, he does not have the right to call himself a man. It was a blockbuster because the general mood of people reflects well in this film. People are tired of empty assurances and unfulfilled commitments,” he added before opening an attack on the government.