'Gandhigiri' in Lok Sabha

As a handful of Opposition Congress MPs trooped into the well of the Lok Sabha during Question Hour on Tuesday to protest alleged atrocities against Dalit youth in Punjab, six MPs of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) joined them - to offer roses to their political rivals. The incident was a throwback to the Hindi film, Lage Raho Munna Bhai (2006), whose protagonist takes up "Gandhigiri", or non-violent protests against injustice by offering roses or "get well soon" cards to opponents. The BJP MPs were, however, pulled back by party colleagues. Speaker Sumitra Mahajan was upset with the Congress' protest and refusal to discuss the issue. "In reality, you don't want to raise the Dalit issue," she said. "You just want to shout. This is not fair."