New Delhi: The poet Prime Minister came under attack in Lok Sabha on August 19 with a prominent Congress member asking Atal Behari Vajpayee to choose between a "sentimental" life and "Raj dharma".

Hitting out at Vajpayee's poem on "aar-paar ki ladai", Congress chief whip Priyaranjan Dasmunsi said Indira Gandhi actually pushed the enemy far in the "aar-paar ki ladai" (fight to the finish).

"Aar mein reh gaya Vajpayee, paar mein reh gaya Musharraf, beech mein George Bush aur hum sab khush (Vajpayee remained this side, Musharraf that side, in between was George Bush and everyone was happy," he quipped causing laughter in the House.

Dasmunsi, who accused Vajpayee of shifting stands frequently on vital and contentious issues like the Ram temple, said at the funeral of Mahant Paramhans he became "sentimental" and spoke of the temple while at Red Fort he became "awakened" and said "kadam mila kar chalna hoga".

The Congress leader said he liked Vajpayee's poetry but would advise that as Prime Minister he should be "awakened" and not "sentimental" citing the example of Lord Ram.

"Either you lead a life of sentimentality or follow raj dharma (ethics of governance) and carry out your responsibilities," Dasmunsi said participating in a debate on the no-confidence motion.

Charging the ruling coalition with "mal-performance, corruption and scams", he said the Congress had decided to move a confidence motion on August 14, the day President A P J Abdul Kalam addressed the nation.

PTI