Lok sabha speaker Meira Kumar on Thursday shot off barbs at the BJP for disrupting the House, saying the opposition should learn from Atal Bihari Vajpayee who believed in rising above partisan politics and engaging in purposeful debates in parliament.

Kumar's remarks were even more embarrassing for the principal opposition as she was speaking at a BJP programme organised to release a DVD of Vajpayee's speeches in parliament and collections from his diary.

Lavishing praise on Vajpayee for his unparalleled oratorical skills, Kumar said, "Today the frequent disruptions in Parliament are a major cause of concern for me. It defeats the purpose for which members are elected and sent to the house by the people. Engaging in purposeful debate would increase the prestige of the house across the world."

Leader of opposition in lok sabha Sushma Swaraj, JD-U president Sharad Yadav, BJP MPs L K Advani, Bal Apte, Ananth Kumar, party president Nitin Gadkari, and former speaker Manohar Joshi were present on the occasion.

Though she did not specifically name the BJP, the fact that she was making this clear at a programme organised by the party and at a time when the principal opposition is one of the main culprits of disruptions was not lost on the audience.

The speaker insisted that Vajpayee was unlike the parliamentarians of today as he favoured putting across one's point of view inside the house and not force adjournments.

"Disruptions are not good for democracy. The voice of the weak remain suppressed when this happens. Members should follow the example set by Vajpayee," Kumar said.

The lok sabha speaker brought Manohar Joshi into the debate, saying she feels "jealous" of him and everybody knew the reason why. Joshi was the speaker when Vajpayee was the prime minister.

Kumar said Vajpayee always gave importance to democratic practices.

She recited a stanza from one of his poems.

Other leaders at the programme also narrated interesting anecdotes relating to Vajpayee.

Sharad Yadav recalled that when Vajpayee needed one vote to win the confidence motion in the 13-day government, he had requested him to chip in.

"Vajpayee visited me and asked me if I could make some sacrifice. I only said I will think over it. I regret that my vote did not go to him. And now you are releasing the CD of that debate in parliament," Yadav said.

Manohar Joshi recalled that Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray and he had gone to hear Vajpayee with the plan of moving in for a few minutes but stayed on till the whole speech, lasting 65 minutes, ended. He said Thackeray had then told him that he had never heard a better speech.

"Vajpayee was an example of the kind a prime minister should be," Joshi said.

Gadkari reminisced that as a party worker he had paddled on a punctured bicycle to reach the venue where Vajpayee was to render his speech.

Advani reiterated how he had developed a complex against public speaking in the company of an accomplished speaker like Vajpayee.

Swaraj said MPs used to rush to the house, leaving behind unfinished plates of food and half-empty cups of tea, to listen to Vajpayee.