Pre-Truth — snappy, witty and significant snippets from the world of politics and government.
Wi-fi failure forces NaMo app demonstration to be abandoned
A technical snag hit the presentation on the NaMo app at the BJP’s national executive meeting in Delhi last weekend. Amit Malviya, head of the BJP’s information and technology cell, was briefing party delegates on the app when the Wi-Fi stopped working, bringing a temporary halt to the proceedings. The presentation had to be left incomplete. Malviya maintains there was no such problem; some delegates, however, have their own take on the NDA government’s ‘Digital India’ mission now.
Prashant Kishor’s quest for the Mahatma
As political strategist Prashant Kishor waits for that phone call from Rahul Gandhi, Amit Shah, Lalu Prasad Yadav — the list is getting long and so is the wait — ahead of the 2019 grand battle, what is his consultancy up to these days? His team is calling up youth icons and influencers and asking them to send short videos saying what they like about Mahatma Gandhi.
The plan, apparently, is to collate all these responses and send the ideas to Prime Minister Narendra Modi with a note saying something like: These are the three things India’s youth would like you to implement from Gandhi’s life.
Modi has planned a grand year-long celebration of the Mahatma’s 150th birth anniversary, which will last from 2 October, 2018 to 2 October, 2019.
BBC makes a boo-boo on Nagaland
The always-politically correct BBC made a faux pas in a recent story on Nagaland, published on 9 September, titled ‘The Indian tribe that gave up hunting to save forests’.
The Beebs referred to the ‘Khonoma tribe’ of the state and said it had given up “an important source of livelihood some 20 years ago in order to create a more stable ecosystem for future generations”.
What it failed to gather is that Khonoma is not a tribe, but a tiny village in Nagaland. The tribe which gave up hunting is, in fact, the Angami, one of the largest and most powerful tribes in the state.
A hard day’s night for Rahul Gandhi
Congress president Rahul Gandhi, who was on a Kailash Mansorvar yatra, cut short his trip to be part of the Bharat bandh against the fuel price hike Monday. It was a busy day for him, leading a procession of leaders from Rajghat to the Ramlila Maidan, followed by speeches.
His party was troubled by the fact that some of its potential alliance partners, the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party, did not take part in the bandh.
By evening, though, Gandhi looked relaxed when he was spotted at one of his favourite restaurants — the high-end Town Hall in central Delhi’s Khan Market.
Where language is a crown of thorns
New J&K governor Satya Pal Malik is trying to leave his mark on the Raj Bhavan. To begin with, he has ordered that the usage of Hindi be increased in official correspondence, and has also asked his office not to buy Urdu newspapers, saying he doesn’t read them.
Former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti has politicised the matter, pointing out that Urdu is the official language of the state. Malik may just be realising that the gubernatorial assignment in Srinagar could also be a crown of thorns.
Battle of Punjab top cops leaves Captain miffed
A fight between top officers of the Punjab Police has left Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh very upset. The fight began after DGP-rank officer Siddharth Chattopadhyaya made damning allegations against current DGP Suresh Arora and intelligence wing chief Dinkar Gupta of trying to shield an accused. He then alleged they were trying to drag his name into a case of suicide.
The CM’s ire, it is learnt, is directed at Chattopadhyaya, especially since he is considered close to former DGP Sumedh Singh Saini, a known Captain-baiter. While Amarinder has granted Arora a three-month extension in service, the controversy may cost Chattopadhyaya the top job.
Modi’s warm gesture towards Deve Gowda
A high-level delegation led by Karnataka Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy met Prime Minister Narendra Modi Monday to seek relief for flood-hit districts in the state. Also part of the delegation was former PM and Kumaraswamy’s father H.D. Deve Gowda.
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As the delegation entered, all its members sat on one side of the long conference table, opposite Modi. Soon, however, the PM personally requested Deve Gowda to come and sit next to him. JD(S) leaders were touched by Modi’s gesture.
For now, though, the Congress and the JD(S) continue to see merit in staying together in a bid to topple the Modi government at the Centre next year.
(Contributors: DK Singh, Maneesh Chhibber, Kumar Anshuman, Ruhi Tewari & Rohini Swamy)