Modi’s media men!
Yet another former journalist has made it to the top position of an institution in the Narendra Modi Government. BJP Rajya Sabha member Vinay Sahasrabuddhe has been appointed as the President of Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR). He will replace lokesh Chandra. Sahasrabuddhe was a freelance journalist since his college days. Besides him veteran journalist Ram Bahadur Rai is already heading IGNCA, K G Suresh is the boss at IIMC while senior journalists Ashok Malik is under a prestigious assignment as Press Secretary to the President of India and A Surya Prakash chairs the Prasar Bharati.
Naidu’s way
Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu is setting new trend in conducting the proceedings of the House. Unlike his predecessors, he presides over the Zero Hour and also sits through the Question Hour later. Earlier, the Chairman used to come during the Question Hour and Deputy Chairman conducting the Zero Hour. Moreover, Naidu stands and reads the obituary references. It was not done earlier.
AAP hazard
A spat with a judge in open court recently led senior advocate Rajeev Dhavan to call it a day at courts. The case that led to such an unfortunate end of an otherwise glorious career was the one that involved the power tussle between Arvind Kejriwal Government and Centre over Delhi. Recently, noted criminal lawyer Ram Jethmalani too decided to hang his gown. What is common to both Dhavan and Jethmalani is the fact that both appeared for Kejriwal before announcing their decision to retire. Jethmalani had defended Kejriwal in a defamation suit by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley. His utterances during the cross-examination caused him embarrassment as Kejriwal later denied he instructed the lawyer to make those statements.
Wedding jinx
Grooms and wedding planners are in a fix. Ahead of the wedding season beginning Makar-Sankranti, tent-house owners, bandwalas, and ‘ghodiwalas’ in Delhi are worried after glanders disease was spotted in horses in the national capital. A number of bookings have been cancelled after Delhi Government order banning the movement of horses. Wedding planners and bands are busy to find out alternate venues outside Delhi.
BJP shift
The BJP is all set to shift to its new swanky office at the capital’s Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg (near ITO), after Makar Sankranti next month. At present, it operates from 11, Ashoka Road. The construction work of the new office has almost been completed. Initially, the party planned to shift on 25 December, the birthday of former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee. Now the plan has been changed, a BJP leader said.