Delhi underground

Udit Raj attacks ‘junior’
BJP MP Udit Raj, while addressing a rally in the capital, took a potshot at his “former junior” in the Income-Tax department. Raj said his “junior” and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal did not “accomplish” anything even in the I-T department. The comment came as he was criticising Kejriwal’s 49-day government. “He ran away from the government after 49 days. He promised the sky but did not accomplish anything. He was my junior in the Income-Tax department. He did not accomplish anything to be proud about at the department also,” he said. “He gave reasons that it was just 49 days. He has worked in the Income-Tax department, he knows that by just moving pending files and signing on them, his government could have fast-tracked the pending work. But he did not do even that,” the BJP leader said.

Power crisis
Sakshi Maharaj’s public address in Deoli was interrupted by the very problems the MP from Unnao was talking about. Minutes before he was due to come up on stage and speak, the generator used to power the mics and speakers at the rally stopped working. Organisers explained later that they had to redirect electricity from a shop to make the mics work because of erratic electric supply in the area. Maharaj spoke of electricity crisis in the rally.

Rally surprise
Union minister Nihal Chand was surprised to see that the people who had gathered at his rally left the venue minutes before he started speaking, leaving only BJP workers listening to his speech at Kalyanpuri. Most people had come to the rally not to see him but for the ‘cultural programme’ that involved religious music and a dance performance.

Empty seats
The Delhi Congress’ ambitious attempt at a mahapanchayat in New Delhi, near the Valmiki temple, to underline its support for the Dalit community fizzled out. While Sultanpur Majra MLA Jai Kishan, who regularly visits the temple, had hoped he would be able to successfully galvanise supporters, the mahapanchayat was barely attended by anyone. Empty seats had to be hurriedly removed by party workers before the event began.

Divided lot
Even as the Bill to change the pecuniary jurisdiction of the Delhi High Court and district courts waits to be tabled in Parliament, lawyers are a divided lot over the issue. This week, a dharna by members of the Delhi High Court Bar Association almost resulted in unruly scenes.
While the executive committee members of the association are protesting against what they say “dilution” of the High Court, the president and some senior members are supporting the Bill. When the president went to speak at the dharna, he was mobbed by angry lawyers, who are protesting the Bill.