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Fine Example Delhi: The ever propah
External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh has set new standards of uprightness and earned
the wrath of fellow politicians and free-loading officials. On his visit to London for
talks with the British Government, Singh chose to travel alone, leaving even his PS
behind. His reason was characteristically down-to-earth: India House in London is
sufficiently overstaffed to spare someone for local secretarial help. It's a justification
that will not go down well with politicians and other official high-fliers who are not
only accompanied by factotums but invariably avail of the discounted companion fare for
the spouse. Well done, Major Sahib.
Blind Faith
Jaipur: The
joke in Madhya Pradesh is that Chief Minister Digvijay Singh, a deeply religious man,
observes more fasts than probably all the women in his household. Ever since his stunning
victory in the polls, he has been on a thanksgiving spree -- visiting major shrines,
including Tirupati. But he may have committed a political faux pas by visiting the famous
Rani Sati temple at Jhunjhunu in Rajasthan, where worship is allowed but
"glorification of sati" prohibited under a court order. While that will generate
some controversy, Digvijay seems to be in good company. Union Minister of State for Steel
and Mines Ramesh Bais also visited the temple last month. Apparently, Bais was told that
the secret of Digvijay's victory lay in his devotion to Rani Sati.
Bathing Beauty
Bangalore:
The rift between former prime minister H.D. Deve Gowda and Karnataka Chief Minister J.H.
Patel is only widening. A day before he expanded his 46-member cabinet, Patel tried to get
in touch with Deve Gowda. Usually, Deve Gowda stays at his son and Housing Minister H.D.
Revanna's house, next door to Patel's official residence. But when he wants to avoid
Patel, he stays at his daughter's house, a good 16 km away. So when Patel called for Deve
Gowda's consent on the phone, he was told that the former prime minister was having a
bath. Half an hour later, it was the same reply. Ditto for the third call, except that
this time he was indeed in the bath, having just returned from the house of Congress MP
C.K. Jaffer Sharief whose son Khader had passed away the previous night. Since he never
came on the line despite three attempts, Patel went ahead with the induction of Deve
Gowda's friend-turned-foe B.L. Shankar. The next day, an upset Deve Gowda drove off to his
village in Hassan district in a fit of rage.
Unending Demands
Lucknow:
After the BJP leadership gave him time till March to end dissidence and set his house in
order, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Kalyan Singh has been busy in a damage-control
exercise. Besides holding cabinet meetings twice a week, Kalyan now regularly meets his
state ministers and party functionaries, even inviting mediapersons to his residence to
discuss "developmental issues". His son Rajbir too chips in by meeting state
ministers individually. But all this still does not seem enough. While their long-pending
demand for bungalows is being solved, some of the ministers now want "lucrative
portfolios" to remain in the Government. At this rate, it looks like Kalyan's
deadline will soon run out.
Car Seva Party
Bhopal: The
Samajwadi Party's (SP) national convention in Bhopal last week turned into a "car
seva" for its chief Mulayam Singh Yadav. SP leaders from Uttar Pradesh complained
that a hostile government in Lucknow provided only run-down vehicles for
"netaji's" tours. This moved SP workers so much that there was a scramble for
donations -- ranging from Rs 2,000 to Rs 5 lakh. Within an hour Mulayam was richer by Rs
21 lakh and six cars. Businessman-politician Amar Singh promised two cars for his master,
while cash-rich units like Mumbai and Maharashtra also pledged a car each. But it was
special guest Laloo Yadav who took the cake by announcing that he would pitch in to make
up the shortfall, if any. SP workers, of course, were happy with this spot collection. |
