r. Manmohan Singh and Sushma Swaraj argued passionately but respectfully during the 15th Lok Sabha (2009–2014).
BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj paid heartfelt floral tributes to her mother and former Union Minister Sushma Swaraj on Wednesday, marking six years since her passing. The tribute ceremony in Delhi drew the presence of several senior BJP leaders, including Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva and MP Yogender Chandoliya, along with party workers and supporters who gathered to remember her towering contributions to Indian politics.
Throughout her decades-long political career, Sushma Swaraj held various important positions, including Leader of the Opposition and External Affairs Minister. She is known as a strong and caring leader. The conviction of Swaraj, humor, and oratory made a lasting impression on parliamentary proceedings.
A beloved memory of Sushma Swaraj's parliamentary legacy emerged as tributes poured in, a beautiful exchange between her and former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh that demonstrated a unique combination of intelligence, humor, and respect for one another in Indian politics.
Dr. Manmohan Singh and Sushma Swaraj argued passionately but respectfully during the 15th Lok Sabha (2009–2014).
They also frequently used Urdu poetry to support their positions. In contrast to the frequently hostile tone of contemporary debates, these exchanges are today seen as defining moments of parliamentary culture.
In March 2011, after Wikileaks revealed a cable alleging that the Congress had bribed MPs during the 2008 trust vote, Sushma Swaraj delivered a poetic blow quoting Shahab Jafari,
“Tu idhar udhar ki na baat kar, yeh bata ki kafila kyun luta,
Humein rahjano se gila nahi, teri rahbari ka sawal hai.”
Calling into question the leadership of the ruling party, her lines resonated across party lines.
In response, Dr. Manmohan Singh quoted Allama Iqbal in a calm yet witty tone:
“Mana ki teri did ke kaabil nahin hoon main,
Tu mera shauq dekh, mera intezar dekh.”
The House was filled with appreciation and laughter at this unexpected, beautiful response. It was a time when literary beauty overshadowed political competition.
Their poetic duels continued in 2013, when, during a Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address,
Dr. Singh quoted Mirza Ghalib:
“Humein unse hai wafa ki ummeed jo nahin jante wafa kya hai.”
To this, Swaraj replied with a couplet from Bashir Badr:
“Kuch to majburiyaan rahi hongi, yun hi koi bewafa nahin hota.”
She followed it with another powerful verse:
“Tumhe wafa yaad nahi, Humein jafa yaad nahi,
Zindagi aur maut ke toh do hi tarane hain,
Ek tumhein yaad nahi, ek humein yaad nahi.”
The nation is reminded of a period in which wit and intellect triumphed over personal attacks in Parliament by these polite and poetic debates, which continue to be a high point in India's legislative history.
Following her passing in August 2019, Dr. Singh paid an emotional tribute to her, “I was shocked to hear about the sudden demise of Sushma Swaraj. I have fond memories of my association with her when she was the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha. She was a great parliamentarian and an exceptionally talented Union minister."
On her death anniversary, while the nation remembers her administrative achievements, it also reflects on a dignified era of politics, one where words carried weight, and poetry softened the clash of ideologies.
