Sadhna aur Tapasya

Bhai Sahib,Kaun?

Relieved after PCC president Kaul Singh Thakur turned down her resignation for the Mayor’s post,Madhu Sood said “her statement making a sudden U-turn on the controversial Bamloi housing project was taken under duress and pressure”. She was quoted saying that a bhai sahib — who came to her with a prepared text — took her signatures claiming that it is a symbolic thing meant for two English newspapers and not the Hindi media. “So,I signed it in good faith,” she added. Many debated and guessed as who was this bhai? Inquiries later found that a serving IAS officer had prepared the English text and persuaded Sood to sign it in the presence of an influential businessman,who has stakes in the project.

Walks tall,talks heart

Chief Justice Kurian Joseph prefers to walk,even as most dignitaries often opt to use vehicles on the Mall Road — a no-vehicle zone. Last Saturday,he came walking to the Gaiety Theatre for “Public Colloquium” function when a top Army officer drove in his car — which stayed parked at Gaiety’s entrance on the Ridge side. Earlier,during Army Chief V K Singh’s two-day visit,scores of Army vehicles flashing red bacons drove in and out on the Ridge. But nothing to match Joseph’s usual routine.

Pahari Nadda

BJP’s national General Secretary J P Nadda,recently appointed as the party spokesman,is a proud Himachali. Invited for a silver jublee function of local weekly Monal Times,where Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal was also present,Nadda called himself a pahari — who are traditionally simple,honest and straight forward — to strike a chord with the media. “We (BJP leaders) are not crooked,shrewd or cunning. Top BJP leaders like Atal Bihari Vajpayee and L K Advani have also associated with the media. Therefore,doesn’t the party deserve some kind of ‘soft’ coverage when it comes to criticisng the BJP?” he asked.