Cn Heard

Bishnoi injured or not?
After the terrible clash between the workers of Haryana Janhit Congress and Chandigarh police last week,party leader Kuldeep Bishnoi went to the Government Hospital,Sector 16. This led to a spate of rumours that Bishnoi was seriously injured. Eager reporters rushed to the hospital with their camerapersons and started searching for Bishnoi in the intensive care unit of the hospital. It was later that they realise that Bishnoi had received minor injuries and was discharged after first aid. He,in fact,had arrived at the hospital to check the well being of his seriously injured party workers.

Patil’s predicament
Shivraj Patil is considered to be one of the closest persons to the Nehru-Gandhi scion. In fact,his appointment as the home minister in the UPA Cabinet of 2004 and now his selection for the post of Punjab Governor and UT Administrator is perceived to be primarily due to his unflinching loyalty to 10,Janpath. The congenial leader,who is often blamed for being ineffective,is also a loyal Congressman. Therefore,it was an oddity to hear him castigate,UPA’s non-performance and the centre’s bias toward Punjab.

But was merely reading out a speech on the floor of the Punjab Assembly and as per constitutional norms,a Governor has to merely speak from the text which has already been prepared by the state government for him. Patil’s discomfort was clearly visible as opposed to Rodrigeus,who despite reading from a pre-prepared text added his own flourish and thump while criticising the Congress.