How a phone call disrupted disruptive MP for a day

SS Ahluwalia, a four-term Rajya Sabha member and current Lok Sabha MP from Darjeeling, is known for his near-encyclopaedic knowledge of parliamentary procedures. But during the VP Singh government of 1989-90 he was notorious for being part of Rajiv Gandhi's "shouting brigade" that often disrupted Rajya Sabha proceedings. His antics would find prominent place in dailies. One day Ahluwalia received a phone call. "I am so ashamed of you that I can't tell my children that we were classmates," the voice at the other end said. The next day he sat quietly in the Upper House with headphones on his head, noting down points from speeches. Sure enough, the next day's newspapers reported how Ahluwalia sat silent all day. The friend phoned to say, "Pardon me. I misjudged you." That was enough for Ahluwalia to be back with a vengeance to his disrupting ways in the Rajya Sabha the next day onwards.