The launch of Karan Thapar's book Devil's Advocate on July 25 became a rather unusual event in today's Delhi. The current PM was discussed in unflattering terms at some length, BJP politicians were conspicuously absent except for L K Advani and Sudheendra Kulkarni, and jokes about hugging became the flavour of the evening. Rahul Gandhi who was the guest of honour narrated a lengthy anecdote about fighting without hating, and former PM Manmohan Singh, to use the Indian cliche, graced the occasion.