Liberal MP Ruby Dhalla is in India, and today her purse was stolen by two children, nine-year-old Sachin and his five-year-old sister Bindia.

The thieves were caught within thirty minutes of the theft, and the police proceeded to beat the children black-and-blue.

Shocking.  Terrible.  But when Ruby Dhalla was first told of the beating, she responded, in front of the rolling cameras, with what the news anchor called a "shockingly callous" attitude.

Watch the video.  Here is an excerpt:

Anchor: Well, just minutes after the function which Ruby Dhalla attended she was shockingly callous about the incident when confronted by the media.

Ruby Dhalla: [split screen of Dhalla on the right, and the beaten screaming children on the right] I...I cannot control what the police does but I know in my speech [unclear...name of the function?] and I hope those young kids learn from this incident.

Well, there you go.

Rhuby Dhalla was asked later for her reaction, and now the response has changed:

I completely condemn any type of violence against children.  I'm a strong supporter of children.  It's unfortunate that I didn't see the incident.

So does that mean there is a level of child-beating that is acceptable?  If she had only known that the beating exceeded this level of acceptable violence against children, her response would have been more appropriate?

You have to watch the video.  Her "condemnation" is displayed on another split screen, opposite of the image of beaten children, with the subtitle "Changed stance?"

The Indian media is having a field day with this.

I have to question her "complete" condemnation of violence against children.  When she was first told the children were beaten, she seemed to be satisfied that the beating would have taught the little tykes a harsh lesson about crossing a Liberal MP of her stature.  In any case, she felt that she had no business commenting on police tactics.

CTV is reporting that the children were chased and caught by Ruby Dhalla's entourage, and that these people handed the children over to the police.  But it seems clear that Ruby Dhalla did know the children were beaten when she made her "lessons learned" comment.

When CTV tried to get a comment, nothing was forthcoming from either Ruby Dhalla or the Liberal Party.

I think it's safe to say the Ruby Dhalla has managed to severely embarrass herself, the Liberal Party, and all Canadians.

CTV is reporting that this is building into a firestorm in the Indian press.  The question is whether the press in Canada is going to demand an explanation of what Ruby Dhalla was thinking about how fortunate it would have been if the children had learned a lesson from the extra-judicial police beating.

Stay tuned.