No twit for tat, says Sunanda
Shashi Tharoor’s wife Sunanda is back in the news. She has been tweeting about hacking of her phone by somebody and claiming that the hackers is responsible for wild allegations made from her account against BJP leader Subramanian Swamy. A quarrel broke out between Swamy and Tharoor last week, when the former tweeted that one Central Minister from Kerala used diplomatic influence to save his son after he was arrested in Dubai. Swamy did not mention anyone’s name, but Tharoor fell into the trap of TV channels by responding. Then came Sunanda’s tweet accusing Swamy of sexual abuse, which she later deleted by saying somebody hacked her phone. last heard is that both sides have decided to bury the hatchet after intervention from some sensible quarters.
Scribes on the backburner
The Press conference of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to highlight the achievements of Congress and UPA was nothing but a well staged drama in more ways than one. To begin with the journalists, who were allowed to ask questions, were identified in advance. Secondly, some of them were reportedly asked to field questions that would give PM a chance to put forth his views on specific subjects. When Information & Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari, who coordinated the PC, realised that several senior journalists were fuming over being ignored, Tewari assured that the PM will hold another PC shortly. A journo quipped: “He has taken ten years to hold three PCs. When he holds his next, it may well be three years. And then no one will be there to hear him!”
Judge a car by the brand
An austerity drive is visible in the Supreme Court. Till recently, the official car of the judges was Toyota Corolla luxury sedan. But of late, two new judges were given sporty-looking MUV Ford EcoSport, the best of its category costing much less than the luxury sedan available to the remaining judges. Grapevine has it that the switch of loyalties may be an indication of the austere measures being undertaken at the apex court.
SC judges hold court
last week, the Supreme Court opened to full strength after its brief winter break with all judges in attendance and holding court. Unlike in several Government departments, where post-holiday absenteeism was a common trend, it seemed the judges meant serious business at the start of an eventful year in the Supreme Court. Though no big case was reported through the entire week, much seemed to be in store in the
coming days with all eyes on the Presidential Reference against Justice AK Ganguly.
Not ‘duty’ bound
When a senior official in the PMO looking after media assignments called up the editor of a newspaper to rubbish a story published in that publication about PM’s plan to announce his retirement before 2014, the editor chose to ignore him. At PM’s Press conference few days later, the PMO officer was spotted sitting in the first row while PIB and I&B Minister Manish Tewari coordinated the event. Grapevine has it that the ‘officer’ has been kept off from the duty of advising the PM on communication matters.
Jaitley’s consuming passion
From Kashmir fame Kahwah to aaloo naan and chholey from Amritsar, it was a spread of delicacies from North India at the New Year party by BJP leader Arun Jaitley this week. The BJP leader and his family played a perfect host to BJP’s top brass and other visitors.
What austerityIJ
At a time of austerity, the newly-created Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) under the Department of Science and Technology for promoting research and science has caused loss of around `8.84 crore to the exchequer. The CAG has blamed lack of planning and injudicious decision to hire office space at Noida by the Government despite absence of regular staff and failure to occupy the same.
Some elbow grease for Moily
In his recent Press conference, when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh shared the
concern to protect the rhinos in Assam, wildlife lovers were amused. “If PM is so
concerned about rhinos, he should ensure that Petroleum Minister Veerappa Moily takes remedial measures. The wildlife lovers
pointed to the recent brazen violation of green norms by Oil India limited, which laid pipeline through the Dibru-Saikhowa National Park and Borjan-Bherjan-Padumani Wildlife Sanctuary in Assam and applied for clearances from the Green Ministry after the work had been completed. “Will Moily muster the courage to turn the clock back. It is not question of only rhinos, it is question of protecting their habitats as well,” said an expert.