GRAPEVINE

Dhaka’s birthday wish to Modi

World leaders queued up with birthday greetings for Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 17. One message, political whispers in both capitals — New Delhi and Dhaka —say, arrived rather late — around 10 pm — and did more than wish him well.

Grapevine has it that the greetings exchange with Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman quickly moved from cake-and-candles formality to a personal invitation. Rahman’s maiden official visit to India is now being talked about for November.

Who advised the election commissioners?

The talk of the town is who advised the Election Commissioners to patch up after controversy broke out.  

The grapevine is that top leadership advised the three Commissioners to sit together, settle their differences, and avoid creating a burden on the Government. Sources say they were summoned that evening when the news broke and urged to join hands and iron out the differences, as the act is tarnishing the image of the Government as well as Nirvachan Sadan. Grapevine has it that soon all three ECs will also hold a joint Press conference.

Airport Babu too bureaucratic?

A few days back, the Airport Authority of India (AAI) chief was shunted to the Ministry of Rural Development as Additional Secretary. But nobody has been replaced for the top job at AAI. Rumors are abuzz about who will be the new AAI chief and why the current chief was suddenly shunted. The grapevine says that the top office’s displeasure led to the immediate shift, citing slow movement of files on airport privatisation and complaints from private operators and a top industrialist that the airport babu was too bureaucratic.