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HomeOpinionAfter Amethi, Smriti Irani rumoured to contest from Wayanad. She clearly doesn't...

After Amethi, Smriti Irani rumoured to contest from Wayanad. She clearly doesn’t want to

Ashwini Vaishnaw and Pushkar Dhami had kulfi together. Then they fought over the bill

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When Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Papua New Guinea for the third summit of the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC), Prime Minister James Marape welcomed him by touching his feet. The people of Papua New Guinea thought they had done their part in showing respect to the Indian prime minister. But later, the Fijian PM Sitiveni Rabuka honoured Modi with the Companion of the Order of Fiji, the country’s highest civilian honour. The leadership of Papua New Guinea now wanted to do the same thing.

They requested to meet Modi again and this time Papua New Guinea’s governor-general Sir Bob Dadae presented him with the Grand Companion of the Order of Logohu, their highest civilian honour. It was only because of Modi that all 14 nations of the Pacific Island decided to join the summit. The summit had been introduced after Modi’s visit to Fiji in 2014. 

Great Indian bill-fight

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw reached Dehradun to flag off the Vande Bharat Express. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami also joined him. In their free time, they went to a shop to eat kulfi-faluda (iced milk dessert with cold noodles). Both Dhami and Vaishnaw wanted to pay the bill. People who witnessed them struggle over the bill say that the kulfi-seller offered one kulfi each to them and said that the account is settled. Now, both of them could pay the bill for two kulfis.

No excuses

Several BJP MLAs have registered for the day-long National Legislators Conference to be held in Mumbai from 15 June. But all the MLAs of the party have also been instructed to participate in the celebrations for nine years of the Modi government. Those who tried to get away by citing their fixed plans were told that no ‘excuse’ will be entertained. They will have to attend the anniversary celebration.

Out of habit

The media is being thoroughly briefed by the BJP about the Modi government’s achievements in the last nine years. These briefings are taking place in different lots at New Delhi’s Ashoka Hotel. The presentation starts with the BJP president JP Nadda’s address. He gives his speech in both Hindi and English languages. Someone in the crowd questioned why Nadda has to speak in English. He replied that since English media outlets are also present at the gathering, he automatically starts speaking in English.


Also read: Siddaramaiah’s oath-taking left out AAP, BRS and others. Congress has new opposition strategy


Keep away from Wayanad

Smriti Irani, who defeated Rahul Gandhi in Amethi in the last general election, is confident of winning this time too. But she is apprehensive about the rumour that she is contesting from Wayanad as well. The politician so well-versed in multiple languages has started categorically denying that she knows Malayalam. She has also made it clear that she is not even learning the language.

2024 plan

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has reportedly been told that the BJP is already talking to JD(U)’s possible candidates for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. And if these candidates win, their entry into the BJP is almost fixed. Is this really the central ruling party’s plan? Bihar BJP in-charge, Vinod Tawde, said that the first battle in Bihar will be over RJD and JDU tickets. BJP will come into the picture only after that. Moreover, Nitish Kumar should not worry about his candidates joining the BJP because whether his party will win the Lok Sabha election this time is itself a question.

Missing the old days

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is missing the BJP office a lot. With all the work she handles at the finance ministry, she gets little time to go to the party office. When she does get time to visit, some party functionaries advise her against it. They say, “Madam, it won’t be appropriate for you to come here because of the ongoing events and your presence will divert the issue.”

Caste supremacy

Congressmen are busy breaking their heads over how the list of portfolios of its ministers in Karnataka—in which the caste of each minister was mentioned—was leaked. But ever since the leak, the party workers and big leaders are considering it necessary to reveal their caste. Those who had not revealed their caste till now and were saying that they don’t do caste politics are now telling their juniors and especially their personal assistants to refer to them as Pandit ji, Thakur Saab or Lala ji in front of others. In fact, leaders of Dalit and other ‘backward’ castes have started associating themselves with BR Ambedkar. Others are attaching themselves to President Droupadi Murmu. Their caste is now more important than their name.

Bharat Agrawal is Executive Director, Dainik Bhaskar Group, and a columnist.

By special arrangement with Dainik Bhaskar, edited by Ratan Priya.

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