By Nora Chopra
RAHUL GANDHI IS ON VACATION AGAIN AFTER VISITING TEMPLE
Rahul Gandhi who after doing all the temple hopping and invoking the Hindu symbol saying the farmer has two mothers one the regular maa and the other dharti maa , has suddenly gone abroad. He even said he has changed. Earlier he used to think like an army man but now he has changed. He now thinks like a family man like a parivar. But soon after that he has gone on a seven day vacation. He flew off to London.
IS CONGRESS VICE PRESIDENT OPTING FOR SOFT HINDUTVA?
Taking a leaf from his father Rajiv Gandhi’s book of politics, Rahul Gandhi on Monday adopted soft Hindutva. He launched his election campaign from the temple town of Mathura in the run up to the Bihar elections where he visited the Baanke Bihari temple. This is being seen as the Congress move to woo the upper caste hindus. This is also in line with the Gandhi family adviser AK Antony‘s prescription to win election after the Congress lost the 2014 election. The wise man of the Congress Antony was tasked to find out the reason for the party’s losses in elections. Antony however in his report said that the erosion in the Congress rank and file is because it is seen as going out of its way in appeasing the minorities. The Congress should resist this and try to get rid of this perception of being a pro minority party. But what perhaps the wise man Antony forgot was that in 1989 the then prime minister Rajiv Gandhi had started his campaign from Ayodhya where he talked about establishing Ram Rajya. Rajiv Gandhi’s advisers had told him to open the gates of the disputed mosque the Babri Masjid. To counter the Ayodhya visit of Rajiv, BJP’s temple movement and V P Singh’s mandal agitation started. That was the end of the Congress in Uttar Pradesh.
CONGRESS LEADERSHIP WITHDRAWS GHULAM NABI FROM BIHAR CHARGE
In a surprise move, the Congress leadership which had given charge of the election in Bihar to senior leader Ghulam Nabi Azad has suddenly decided to withdraw him.. Azad who is famous as the man with a Midas touch for he has hardly lost an election for which he was in charge, has now been withdrawn from the charge of the state which is due to go for a month long election. Sources say that Azad has been withdrawn from the charge of Bihar just because he is a Muslim. In keeping with Antony’s prescription, there is realization in the Congress leadership that the party should not be seen as to be appeasing the muslims. By projecting Azad as the man leading the party in Bihar elections, the leadership felt it would not be sending the right signal. It would again be branded as the pro muslim party. The same reason is being cited within the party circles for not having an alliance with Sharad Pawar’s NCP In Bihar. The NCP in Bihar is led by Tariq Anwar.
CONGRESS KISAN RALLY IN DELHI A FLOP SHOW
The kisan rally of the Congress held in Delhi’s Ramlila Ground on Sunday last week was dominated only by Bhupinder Singh Hooda ‘s Haryanvi pink pagri but in Delhi where the rally was held, the tri-coloured topi wearing crowd was conspicuous by its absence . Delhi PCC chief Ajay Makan, the organiser of the rally had got the tri-coloured topis made for his Delhi crowd but he failed to mobilize the Congress workers. This failure is being seen as a result of factionalism and infighting. Most anti-Makan factions chose to stay away from the rally. Another visible feature of the rally was that Janardhan Diwedi who had always presided over such Congress meetings and rallies, was replaced by Makan. Makan conducted the rally but his presentation was no match to an experienced Diwedi.
RAKESH MARIA CROSSED HIS BRIEF
The Mumbai police commissioner Rakesh Maria was shunted out in a huff because he had jumped his brief. He had started to probe the money laundering case of Peter Mukerjea. If the probe would have proceeded further, many powerful cabinet ministers whose funds were parked with the Mukerjeas, would have been exposed.
GOVT PANEL FOR BANK CHIEFS FAVOURING PRIVATE SECTOR
The grading system used by the sub panel for the selection of public sector bank s CMDs is not consistent with the one used by the public sector banks. There is a clear preference of recruiting private sector applicants. The cut off age of 55 virtually makes most of the executive directors of PSBs ineligible for selection. The advertisement also says that the salary package for CMD will be flexible and fixed by the government. The advertisement also says that the prospective candidates must have at least 3 years of board level experience. This makes most of the GMs ineligible. Also given that most PSB candidates become board members at the age of 54, the clause is highly discriminatory. The bank officers are so upset that they have petitioned the prime minister on this matter and have also approached the High Court for intervention.
CONGRESS LEGISLATURE PARTY LEADER TAKING FAVOURS FROM BJP CM
While the deputy leader Vijay Vagghativar is absconding, Congress legislative party chief RM Vikhe Patil in Maharashtra assembly is seen by many as submissive to chief minister Devendra Phadnavis. Almost every week he visits Phadnavis to request for some job done or some transfer -postings. He also calls Phadnavis “sir”, leaving many congressmen wondering how he can take him on in the assembly.
MUKUL WASNIK IN RAHUL GANDHI’S HIT LIST
The Dalit general secretary of the Congress Mukul Wasnik is perhaps on his way out. Mukul is one of those general secretaries who are on Rahul Gandhi’s hit list.. Congress which is always ready to pay its tributes or pay its condolences at the drop of its hat failed to pass even a one line condolence when Mukul’s father passed away last week. Nor did anyone representing the AICC go there, except for Imran Kidwai who is a personal friend of Wasnik. This has sparked the rumour that now it is Wasnik’s turn to be shown the door. (IPA)