New Delhi, July 22: As two of the speakers fielded by the UPA on Tuesday, both RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi made a pitch for the nuclear deal, but in their own distinctive styles. While Lalu was his trademark earthy self, Rahul began by saying he spoke “as an Indian, and not a member of a political party”.

Lalu left the Treasury benches and Speaker Somnath Chatterjee laughing when he said the “rakshasas” would be vanquished at “gau bela” (dusk).

Taking a dig at L K Advani, Lalu said: “Sabke man mein ichchha hai PM banne ki. Mere man mein bhi hai, lekin, main kisi hadbadi mein nahin hun (Everyone want to become PM one day. Even I want to be one day. But, I am in no hurry).” But to cut Advani to his size, he added: “Advani koi Vajpayee thode na hain. (Advani has not match to Vajpayee).” He continue: “Will Mayawati be allowed to become PM, she is a Dalit and a women — she will not be allowed to become the PM.”

Referring to Advani’s speech in the House on Monday, Lalu said: “Hindutva ka nara dete hai, sacha Hindu wahi hai jo pind dene gaye.” Recalling the 1999 Kandahar hijack, he added: “Azhar Masood ko kisne chhudaya? Jawab dena padega, jahaj le kar kaun gaya? (Who freed Azhar Masood? You will have to give an answer).”

Beginning the debate by congratulating Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for taking a courageous step, Lalu quoted an old Hindi film song to define his relations with the Left. “Char saal pehle, hume tumsey pyaar tha, aaj bhi hai, aur kal bhi rahega (we were in love with you four years ago, are in love today, and will remain in love tomorrow,” he said.

He focussed most of his attention on the Left and differentiated the new CPI(M) leadership from the earlier leaders, like Harkishen Singh Surjeet, for its handling of the situation. “Yeh nahin samajh rahe hain ki woh Kalidas ki tarah daal kaat rahe hain (They do not realise that they are cutting the branch like Kalidas),” he said in an indirect reference to Prakash Karat and others.

On the other hand, Rahul tried to cut across party lines to underline the need for energy security. “I decided to take a step that most politicians normally don’t. I decided to make a central assumption that all here speak in the interest of this nation. Yesterday, I thought why we are here today. The conclusion is that because there is a serious problem in India and that is energy security,” he said.

Linking poverty to the country’s energy needs, he quoted the example of Kalawati, a widow he met during his recent trip to Vidarbha. Kalawati’s husband, he said, had committed suicide because he was dependent on a single crop of cotton. With nine children to take care of, Kalawati was forced to diversify and sow three crops. She bought two buffaloes and also build a pond for rainwater harvesting, said Rahul.

In a stinging attack on CPI member Gurudas Dasgupta’s comments on the availability of basic needs like food, Lalu said: “Gurudas apne bhashan mein keh rahe the, humko roti chahiye. Lagta hai bhookhe hai. Roti kaha se aayegi, roti aasman se nahi aayegi, roti aayegi to infrastructure se aayegi. (Gurudas was talking about food in his speech. I think he is hungry. Where will food come from? It won’t come from the sky, it will come from development of infrastructure).”

With the BSP members in the House alleging that the CBI was being used to target Mayawati, Lalu replied: “Fasane se koi fasta nahi. Hum par bhi CBI ka case chal raha hai. Hamare 24 MPs mein koi ye bata de ki hamne PM ya Soniaji ka favour liya ho. Doodh ka dood, pani ka pani hoga. Agar Mayawati par case hai to unhone apne kagaj patra banaye honge.”