Friendly enemies

There is an old saying: "Politics is the art of the impossible." This was amply demonstrated during a recent protest against the United Progressive Alliance government in Parliament over the coal and 2G telecom licence scams, when Samajwadi Party (SP) members of Parliament (MPs) were seen protesting alongside Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MPs, though both have strong and well-documented ideological differences. What amused onlookers most was an "Om" sign on a senior SP leader's shirt. With party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav recently commending BJP leader Lal Krishna Advani, some political pundits are watching developments with much curiosity.