You're not alone Ashutosh: From Obama to Modi, several political bigwigs have cried in public

As if the spontaneous political mudslinging around farmer Gajendra Singh wasn’t enough, television newsrooms decided to add their own bit to the drama. As a result we had AAP leader Ashutosh, BJP leader Sambit Patra in an Aaj Tak panel, which also roped in the deceased farmer’s young daughter on call. In the middle of the exchanges, ably pushed by an anchor, Ashutosh broke down, sobbing uncontrollably on the show. While it was the first time that an Indian politician cried so vehemently in public, the big, popular and the mighty world over have not shied away from shedding tears in public. Following is a list of people Ashutosh can turn to for comfort, perhaps?  Whoever said ‘boys don’t cry’, Obama set out to prove him/her wrong. The United States President , usually considered the most powerful leader in the world, cried not once, or twice, but several times in public. From crying during the final speech of the 2012 Presidential campaign to breaking down while addressing the nation following the Connecticut school shooting, Obama has never shied away from wearing his heart on his sleeves. The above picture is from 2008, when Obama, then a Democrat candidate broke down while recollecting the death of his grandmother. (Picture by Reuters) [caption id=“attachment_2211296” align=“aligncenter” width=“825” class=" “]  CNN-IBN[/caption]   Sheila Dikshit, then the Delhi chief minister, had broken down during a television interview while talking about the 2012 gangrape victim. Prior to this, Dikshit had come under fire for cracking down on protesters who had gathered in Delhi to demand better safety arrangements in the city and government inaction. Dikshit was accused of directing the police to use tear gas shells and water canons on the protesters. The interview that took place soon after was widely seen as a damage control measure by the politician fast losing support among her voters. She consequently lost the elections that took place in Delhi the next year. [caption id=“attachment_2211298” align=“aligncenter” width=“825” class=” “]  YouTube screengrab[/caption] Jaya Bachchan choked and then broke down in Rajya Sabha while speaking about the 16 December gangrape victim. She couldn’t hold back her tears when she started speaking about how brutally the physiotherapy student was raped and then left to die.   [caption id=“attachment_2211302” align=“aligncenter” width=“825” class=” “]  YouTube screengrab[/caption]   Bet you didn’t see this coming! Narendra Modi, who was touted as the Loh Purush prior to the elections, whose rallies were named ‘Hoonkar’, ‘Garjana’ and other such forms of roaring, broke down while delivering his first speech in Lok Sabha. As he started delivering his first speech in the Central Hall, Modi was overcome by emotion. He momentarily broke down, gathered himself back, drank a glass of water and carried on with his impassioned speech. [caption id=“attachment_2211304” align=“aligncenter” width=“825” class=” “]  Reuters[/caption] While making an appearance for a campaign, Hillary Clinton got emotional and broke down in public. The Daily Beast reports: “After delivering a joke or two, then-Senator Clinton got very emotional. “I just don’t want to see us fall backward as a nation,” she said, as her eyes filled with tears. “I mean, this is very personal for me. Not just political. I see what’s happening. We have to reverse it.”