‘Aastha Abhiyan’ is an important chapter in the history of Congress. Its latest edition is ‘flight to Surat’ to show the party’s support for Rahul Gandhi. Everyone in the party got a call from KC Venugopal. Many leaders had told their personal assistants to not transfer them any call. Not even on cell phones. But one general secretary got a call from a Congress chief minister. Since the former was waiting for this call for many days, the PA transferred him to the call. The general secretary asked, “Did he ask to go to Surat?” The PA said, “No, something bigger.” Meanwhile, Venugopal also sent a message. How long would poor Aastha be happy?
A touchy point
The Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala scheme is crucial for Railway Minister Ashwani Vaishnav. For years, he saw his mother lighting the makeshift stove by blowing into it. He gets emotional remembering those days. But the very next moment he starts recalling the first time he had gifted a torch to his grandmother, and how she was overjoyed.
Aunt or uncle?
In Indian weddings, fufas or paternal uncles are given the most importance. An Uttar Pradesh politician recently attended a wedding in his family. When the typical banter started at the ceremony, the value of paternal uncles was discussed. The conversation even mentioned the Modi government’s Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao and it replaced the uncle rant with an imagined aunty rule. How bad would fufaji feel if he was listening to this?
Also read: Tipu Sultan is back & reigning over Karnataka politics. Why BJP has resurrected him
The real game
The Indian cricket team of two to three decades ago may not have been professional, but every player was said to be one. How to stay in the team, how to become a man of the match, how to improve game record, and how to get advertisements among other things were sorted out by the players. Similar internal battles are being fought in Karnataka. Although the main contest is between BJP and Congress with JDS in the tournament, the real game is being played within the parties.
For example, who will be the main speaker from the BJP side in coastal Karnataka? UP CM Yogi Adityanath or MP Anant Hegde? Will the strike rate be higher in CM’s or the former CM’s area? Who will lead the Congress; DK Shivakumar or Siddaramaiah? HD Deve Gowda’s elder son HD Revanna or HD Kumaraswamy’s son Nikhil Gowda will lead JDS? Out of BS Yediyurappa’s two sons, who will be the heir to his political legacy?
Charcha without chai
Home Minister Amit Shah doesn’t like to be disturbed when he is working. During a meeting with the cyber department at the home ministry, Shah sent away the tea server and asked him to come later. He did come the second time but Shah sent him back again, this time more strictly. After the meeting ended and Shah left the room, it was time for refreshments. But now the tea server was missing. On being called, the server irritably asked, “Why do you call for tea and snacks in such meetings? You get us both scolded.”
Dhankhar’s goodwill
Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar recently released a book in the Parliament House Annexe. Former Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu attended the event. Before sitting down himself, Dhankar first offered a seat on the dais to his predecessor and asked Naidu to use his mic. This was a unique display of respect for his predecessor by a constitutionally high-ranking person, bypassing the formal protocol.
Patil for UP
CR Patil looked after the affairs of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s constituency Varanasi from 2014 till he was made the party president in Gujarat. After becoming the state president, he was not active in Varanasi for three years. But he accompanied PM Modi on his last time to the city. As per assumptions, he may be made in charge of UP in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Bail law amendment
There are whispers in legal circles that the government is considering bringing an ordinance to amend the law on bail conditions and curb its misuse.
Face of the party
Recently, on a news channel, Amit Shah said that the CM face in Rajasthan is yet to be decided. Does that mean the matter is over?
Target Mamata Banerjee
Mamata Banerjee is usually seen sloganeering Jai Bangla. Recently, she added Bharat Mata Ki Jai to it and copied Oh Nandlal- Oh Nandlal. However, she had to read out the verses from her phone. Now, she is being made fun of on social media.
Also read: Chaos, infighting, bid for balance — BJP’s big Yediyurappa dilemma in Karnataka
Hidden stories of revolutionaries
Uttar Pradesh was the main center of the Indian freedom struggle. The State Intelligence Bureau came into existence in 1901. All the documents till 1947 are gathering dust in the bureau’s office. There is a risk of all information related to the Independence movement getting destroyed.
After all, this is a priceless treasure of history.
The Yogi government has been informed about the archives. Historians and those doing research on the freedom struggle are looking for those documents. New facts and all the information related to the Kakori incident and Shaheed Chandrashekhar Azad are expected to emerge from these documents, which till now have been secret. It is yet to be seen what the Yogi government decides on making them public.
With you, without you
Ex-bureaucrats are ministers in the BJP government and some are advisors. But some of those officials, who were once working closely with the government are now against it. They felt shortchanged and joined the opposition camp. After a retired IAS officer, now an IPS officer is in line. Once a Director-General of Police (DGP) and close with the BJP-led government, he has now joined the Samajwadi party. And he has his eyes on the 2024 Lok Sabha election.
Bharat Agrawal is Executive Director, Dainik Bhaskar Group, and a columnist.
By special arrangement with Dainik Bhaskar.
(Edited by Ratan Priya)