| Damage Control Delhi: It was perhaps
nothing more than a coincidence, but Atal Bihari Vajpayee and VHP supremo Ashok Singhal
thought of Amartya Sen around the same time. Just when Singhal was shooting his mouth off
about Sen's Nobel Prize being part of a "Christian conspiracy", the prime
minister was writing a polite letter to the professor explaining why he could not meet him
this time due to travel constraints. When Singhal's statement created the predictable
furore, Vajpayee's advisers were quick to control the damage. Invitation cards for a tea
party that Air-India had planned for Sen at the India International Centre were
superscribed with the words "Venue shifted to 7 Race Course Road". Air-India of
course made its presence felt by honouring Sen with a lifetime free-flying pass.
Chilly Conditions
Shimla:
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal has ordered his ministers to stay put in
their offices in Shimla from Monday to Friday. Though a part of the BJP-led coalition's
image-building exercise, the move has expectedly met with murmurs of protest from
colleagues who cite freezing conditions in the hilly capital as a deterrent. Besides, they
say that Dhumal's order runs counter to the BJP slogan of "government at your
doorsteps". It's a different matter that Dhumal rarely misses an opportunity to take
to the skies in the state-hired helicopter or hit the road in his brand-new Mitsubishi
Lancer. Suffice to say that preaching comes naturally to the lecturer-turned-politician.
Torch-bearen
Chandigarh:
Former prime minister I.K. Gujral is loath to visiting his constituency Jalandhar where
he's often greeted with a host of memorandums. Little wonder then that he began the new
year by attending sundry functions in Chandigarh, hoping his two-day stay in the
"city beautiful" would be a good outing away from foggy Delhi. At one function
Gujral honoured Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal with the "Punjab Ratan
Award". In return, Badal praised him as the "only prime minister" who had
done justice to Punjab. At another venue, however, Gujral had a taste of "civic
woes" when power-failure forced him to read out his presidential address with the
help of torchlights. Despite praises heaped on him by the organisers, a cut-up Gujral
could barely hide his displeasure at Chandigarh's falling standards. In the end, it was
hardly a trip worth remembering for the "Punjab da puttar".
Spreading the News
Bangalore: On
the first day of the BJP's National Executive meeting in Bangalore, Doordarshan (DD) led
its night news bulletin with AIADMK supremo J. Jayalalitha's demand for an inquiry into
the sacking of navy chief Vishnu Bhagwat. Union Information and Broadcasting Minister
Pramod Mahajan did not hide his anger at what he thought was a faux pas on the part of dd.
So the next day he sent his personal secretary and a state BJP leader to the DD Kendra in
Bangalore to ensure that the national executive meeting was the lead news item. All of
which simply goes to prove that Prasar Bharati or not, some things never change. Like DD.
Birthday Bashing
Lucknow:
January 5 was the birthday of Chief Minister Kalyan Singh and Union HRD Minister Murli
Manohar Joshi. While there is growing pressure from within the party to replace Kalyan,
Joshi is being projected as his likely successor. Warring camps of the state BJP had
organised different functions in Lucknow -- billed as a show of strength between the
stalwarts -- to celebrate their birthdays. Kalyan himself headed one function, while his
arch rival within the party, Lalji Tandon, was in charge of Joshi's celebrations. Rival
factions may have put up a united face during the party's National Executive in Bangalore,
but back in Lucknow the two camps have started flexing their muscles once again. |
