Bhushan’s topigiri
Senior advocate Shanti Bhushan is popularising the cause of the Aam Aadmi Party in the Supreme Court, in a silent but rather effective way. Recently, several heads turned at the apex court when he walked through the corridors wearing a white cap. What was written on the headgear was even more striking. Neatly painted on both sides were the words Mujhe insaaf chahiye (I need justice) in black. Those close to him suggest senior Bhushan has taken a conscious decision to put on the cap while appearing in his advocate’s gown. Though his association with the movement has remained for over a year, it is only recently that he picked this habit.
Na rahega baans…
BJP MP Maneka Gandhi’s passion for fighting for animal rights is widely acclaimed. She has been successful in her efforts to ban dissection of animals/insects at schools and colleges across India. But now, Gandhi has thought it wise to completely ban dissection at the very training stage, which means neither will a teacher be trained to dissect nor will she teach this during her assignment. She has written to HRD MoS Shashi Tharoor to direct NCTE to remove dissection from the course curriculum of BEd teachers’ training. Reacting to the development, an officer quipped, “Na rahega baans, na bajegi bansuri seems to be the motto.”
CompassionIJ Think again
When someone visits people in hospital or jail, it may not necessarily be out of compassion. A BJP member had a shocking experience when a leader visiting him in hospital said he visits people in hospital or in jail to ward off bad omen. “My astrologer told me that my horoscope has a yog for going to hospital and jail. So to undo it, I visit people in these two places,” the visitor told the BJP leader. All that the bemused patient could say was, “What an idea, Sirji!”
Unhealthy signs
The babudom’s apathy towards India’s traditional medicine system was in full display recently. Union Health Ministry Ayush Secretary Anil Kumar was conspicuous by his absence at the media interaction in Delhi to announce an important decision of WHO, identifying two institutes — in Delhi and Gujarat — from India as its collaborating centres for Yoga and Ayurveda.
Agency reveals nothing!
Flummoxed by CBI director Ranjit Sinha’s confusing stand on questioning of sacked Railway Minister Pawan Bansal in connection with the cash-for-jobs scam, beat reporters complained to the agency spokesperson. The spokesperson sought to pacify them by saying sleuths are still examining the voluminous files and that Bansal can be examined only after substantive evidence is found against him. To this, scribes retorted that a consistent stand on such a sensitive issue was expected, as they too have to answer to their bosses at the end of the day. The official patiently listened to the reporters’ complaint but did not express an opinion, apparently due to official limitations.
Feeling the heat, literally
Frequent power cuts at BJP’s central office on Ashoka Road had party leaders sizzling. At a recent Press meet of party chief Rajnath Singh, pedestal fans had to be brought into the swanky conference room to beat the heat. With power supply disrupted ahead of the media meet on several occasions, some could not resist the temptation of blaming the Congress for it. Sometimes, it’s not so comforting to be in lutyens’ Delhi, actually.
At the crossroads
With the buzz about Congress’ organisational reshuffle doing the rounds, most leaders at the AICC headquarters are feeling unsettled. One, who has been recently appointed as party spokesman, leading to speculation that he may be divested of responsibilities as AICC in-charge of States, admitted he has removed his belongings thrice from the office during the past few days, in anticipation of a change, only to get them back again. But now, with the party leadership’s attention firmly focused on UPA Government’s ninth anniversary celebrations, these leaders can heave a sigh of relief till May 22.
Good cop at MCI
Unfazed by the controversy he has stirred up by taking over as Secretary of the Medical Council of India (MCI), newly-appointed IPS officer RP Meena is trying to set things straight at the regulator. To begin with, he has set up a single window system at the MCI headquarters in Dwarka for redressal of grievances of public thronging the institution. Meena does not meet eligibility criteria for the post, according to MCI rules.
Buffer, duffer, loaferIJ
A senior leader, when asked about the impending organisational reshuffle, gave an interesting take on the Congress. He said the party has a core group, buffer group, duffer group and loafer group. While the Congress core group’s composition is known to all, the buffer group consists of AICC treasurer Motilal Vora and media in-charge Janardan Dwivedi. The leader jokingly described himself as belonging to last of the four groups.