Buland awaz
After the all-party meeting to discuss the Kashmir issue, Home Minister Rajnath Singh, who along with Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, addressed the post-meet Press conference at the media centre, was in a fix whether to speak in a low voice or talk aloud. “My voice any way turns buland,” the Home Minister said as mikes were adjusted to modulate his voice. At this, one scribe commended, “Awaz buland honi chahiye... tab to Kashmir pahuchegi (your voice should be lofty to reach Kashmir).”
Mary Kom steals the show
Olympian boxer Mary Kom is taking her new assignment as nominated member of the Rajya Sabha seriously. She regularly attended the Monsoon Session and earned respect of the entire House when drew its attention to the sorry plight of Indian athletes. Master blaster and Bharat Ratna recipient Sachin Tendulkar also marked his presence and came to the House with braces on left leg. The former cricketer underwent knee surgery two months back. In fact, he attended the Session a day after returning from Brazil, where he had gone to cheer up the Indian Olympic contingent.
Seat ek, aadmi char
Digital India plank in Railways, which has been taking the social media excessively to reach out to rail users, went for a toss last Thursday. The authorities faced a very peculiar case that rattled them. Patna-bound Rajdhani Express had to return to the platform after it had travelled for about two kilometres. The reason: four claimants for one birth in the same coach of First AC class with valid tickets. The issue was sorted out at the station by train conductors and train had to be delayed for an hour. An enquiry into the case got a routine answer from Railways: software error.
Rahul’s I-Day
In the wake of Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s ill health and hospitalisation, party’s vice-president Rahul Gandhi will be acting as the party chief on the occasion of Independence Day. Rahul will hoist the national flag at the party headquarters for the first time since he took over as the Congress office bearer. For decades, only the party president hoist the Tricolour.
Relieved Minister
Union Steel Minister Rao Birender Singh used an interesting analogy while comparing his powers as a former Rural Development Minister with his present authority. He said despite a huge Budget allocation in his previous RD Ministry, he enjoyed little powers to use them. But in the Steel Ministry, even though the Budget allocation is small, he has the freedom to use it fully. “In Haryana we have a saying that a mother-in-law while welcoming her newly-wed daughter-in-law says that everything in this house is yours too, but only that you cannot touch it. Similarly, I had huge allocations in the RD Ministry, but I didn’t have the freedom to use it. But here in Steel Ministry, there is no mother-in-law kind of situation,” Singh said in jest.