GRAPEVINE

PMO orders NCPCR hiring

All does not seem to be well in the Women and Child Development. In an effort to cut costs, the Annapurna Devi-led Ministry lectured the country’s child protection arm, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), leading to the curtailment of services for more than ten consultants. Aggrieved by the WCD action, the terminated employees knocked on the doors of Seva Teerth, as most of them were recommended by some of the like-minded think tanks. Grapevine has it that the PMO intervened and took the Ministry to task, seeking all details of the NCPCR’s modus operandi. During the intervention, the PMO was surprised to learn that the commission was functioning without a regular Chairman and Members, and immediately directed it to declare vacancies.

Akhilesh ko gussa kyon aaya

Last week, during the INDIA bloc protest at Akashwani Bhawan, Samajwadi Party supremo Akhilesh Yadav left the protest venue abruptly. Grapevine has it that he felt ‘bad’ over the fact that Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi unanimously decided to enter the Akashvani Bhawan. At the same time, Akhilesh and other SP MPs were being detained. Akhilesh immediately left the protest after getting released from detention, and then he did not turn up for the protest the following days. “SP leadership feels Rahul Gandhi is trying to “own” the fight against the CEC. So, the SP is planning to launch separate yatras and protests in Uttar Pradesh where assembly elections are scheduled early next year. “ In any case, in UP we have an upper hand always compared to Congress,” quipped a top SP Parliamentarian.

With you, for you, always

While one section has been attacking the force, Delhi Police deserves recognition for how it handled the proposed mass protest at Jantar Mantar. With effective coordination and timely intervention, officers prevented a potential law-and-order crisis from escalating. Barricades held, crowds dispersed without major incident, and the Capital carried on with its daily rhythm. In a city that never stands still, keeping the peace is no small achievement. The men and women in khaki stood firm, ensuring that dissent did not turn into disorder. For their steady vigilance amid the noise, Delhi Police have sent out messages on social media over the last couple of days, even as they faced brickbats on these platforms since the Jantar Mantar protests brought the city to a screeching halt.