In Parliament, Atal impressed many with his oratory, which combined both thoughtful content and style of delivery. It is not that he was inhibited in his earlier years and gained confidence with time. Quite early on in his career, he had occasion to disagree with Pandit Nehru. He said on the floor of the Lok Sabha, ‘I know that Panditji practices shirshasana and is welcome to continue doing so, but this does not mean that he should look at issues with an inverted vision.’ Sometimes he would come up with memorable quips. An old diplomat remembers that once, when on a visit to Lenin’s mausoleum
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Mastering the art of thoughtful criticism
