How the iron man melted ...

Two links:

1. Pratap Bhanu Mehta in The Indian Express: The politics of hurt:

   If you were looking for unexpected insight into the troubles of the BJP, you need look no further than L.K. Advani’s response to the spirited, and on-the-mark, attack on him by Manmohan Singh. His response was a mendacious distinction to the effect that while his attacks on Singh were not personal, Singh’s attacks on him were. But more significant was his claim that he was “hurt”. In using this one little word, Advani unconsciously revealed more about himself and his party: both thrive on a constant play on the theme of victimhood. The minute the Congress ratcheted up the heat on Advani’s record, he retreated into playing victim. Try as much as it can, the BJP struggles to rise above a discourse of victimhood, one that has increasingly less resonance.

2. R. Jagannathan in DNA: The Mouse that Roared:

   Never underestimate the wrath of the timid man. The NDA's prime ministerial hopeful, Lal Krishna Advani, has been stung by the surprisingly bitter counter-attacks of Manmohan Singh, who has managed to wound the former by his sharp diatribes on the Kandahar, Babri Masjid, and Gujarat episodes. [...]

   Singh skillfully used Advani's own words against him. "When held to the fire (on Kandahar)", the PM intoned the other day, the "iron man" melted; Advani, he added, was found "weeping in a corner" while hoodlums tore down the Babri Masjid. The punchline came on Monday in Mumbai, scene of 26/11: "Advani has the unique ability to combine strength in speech with weakness in action." Touche!