PM’s help to Canadian friend
Prime Minister Narendra Modi struck a good rapport with Canadian Prime Minister Stephan Harper in the just concluded official visit to the country where voters of Indian origin count much. The talk is that on Harper’s request Modi went out of his way to visit a Gurdwara and a temple in the trip. While the visits to the places of worship were not scheduled earlier, they were added at the eleventh hour to tell the Canadian voters of Indian origin that Modi is a friend of Harper. The Canadian Prime Minister was especially present during those ceremonies, which showed that he was banking on Modi’s clout with the Canadian Indians to help his party. Parliamentary elections in Canada are due soon and Harper wants to retain his party’s control over the country. For Modi, Harper’s friendship could be of help to India as Canadian pension funds have trillions of dollars for investing overseas, it is said. Incidentally, Canada is a vast country with huge natural resources.
Sanjay Joshi ki ghar wapasi
Narendra Modi will be completing one year as Prime Minister next month and it would certainly be an occasion for the BJP to celebrate. But his detractors in the BJP and the Sangh parivar have also started working secretly. The posters that have appeared near the Prime Minister’s residence as also opposite party chief Amit Shah’s house was indicative of this. The posters, put up by unnamed persons, make a strong plea for the return of Sanjay Joshi, prominent detractor of Modi, back into the party. Joshi, a powerful general secretary of the BJP till a decade back, is virtually in the wilderness after the rise of Modi in recent years. Two years back, when Nitin Gadkari was the party chief, Modi agreed to come to the national executive meeting of the party in Mumbai only if Joshi is removed from the national executive. Gadkari had to grudgingly oblige and show as it Joshi has quit on his own. Now the posters put up by unnamed supporters of Joshi ask the PM if he can hold Man ki baat with all, why Joshi has been left out for such a dialogue. ‘Have man ki baat with Joshi and ensure his ghar wapasi”, goes the message.
Zameenwapasi
Detractors of Congress had a field day last week when it launched the www.zameenwapsi.com website on the eve of the farmers rally addressed by Rahul Gandhi. “Will the Congress start this zameenwapsi by asking Robert Vadra to give back the lands acquired by him? Is this zameenwapsi for return of land from the Damadshree? Is the website being launched on the birthday of Robert Vadra?”, these were among several other tweets that appeared on the website soon after it was launched by party veteran AK Antony in the presence of senior leaders Digvijay Singh, Jairam Ramesh and Randeep Surjewala. A brainchild of Ramesh, the former rural development minister, is leaving no stone unturned to move closer to the Congress vice president. If party insiders are to be believed, there is a virtual race between Ramesh and Digvijay to get closer to Gandhi, who sooner than later, is set to become the party chief.
Kejriwal’s taunt to Modi
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has his own way of taunting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, subtly and gently, but to ensure that the ‘zor ka jhatka dhire se lage’. The granting of the leader of the Opposition status to the BJP in Delhi Assembly was a signal intended to mock at the ruling BJP and its leader who had not given the status to Congress in the Lok Sabha. BJP leader Vijender Gupta was recognised by speaker Ram Niwas Goel as the leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly despite having just three members in the 70-member Assembly. Goel, a known loyalist of Kejriwal, has remarked that BJP-led Central government should take a cue from Aam Aadmi Party. Centre should also give the post of LoP to Opposition in the Lok Sabha so that they could raise the voice of people there. “Opposition is like the pillar of any democratic country…I demand that Prime Minister should give LoP post to Opposition in Lok Sabha so that they could raise the voice of people there,” Goel has said.
Pink turbans
Former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda is a man of much resources and political talent to promote himself. Hooda may not be the Chief Minister like the last 10 years but was counted upon by the Congress high command for much contribution for bringing farmers for the Ram Lila Maidan rally, the comeback vehicle for Rahul Gandhi. Hooda readily obliged to become an important person in the Rahul regime whose taking over is imminent. But to show his contribution, Hooda ensured that the farmers who came from Haryana wore pink turbans distributed by him. Besides, he ensured distribution of the pink turbans to farmers from some other states and they lapped it in large numbers to have some relief from the hot sun. The trick ensured the message of clout of Hooda as there was a sea of pink turbans.
Hooting for Tanwar
Hooda did his politics at the rally too. His pink turban supporters hooted Haryana PCC chief Ashok Tanwar, a lightweight leader who owes his position to Rahul Gandhi. As soon as Tanwar started addressing the farmers rally, the ‘pink’ farmers were in action hooting him and booing him. It continued for full five minutes till Tanwar ended his brief speech. On the other hand, the pink turbans were a joyous lot when Hooda addressed the rally.
‘Suit–boot ki sarkar’
The controversy over the Rs 11 lakh bespoke suit with his name embossed everywhere refuses to leave Narendra Modi. When he visited France, an Indian fashion designer’s tweet created much mirth in political and fashion circles. “Indian Modi who made headlines in the fashion world with his Modi suit is in France during the Paris Fashion Week”, Kanika Gehlaut had tweeted. Needless to say that it was retweeted by some of his detractors in the Congress, who sought to spread the word against Modi in double vigour. Now Rahul Gandhi has again reignited the issue by dubbing the Modi government as “suit-boot ki sarkar” much to the discomfiture of the Prime Minister.
