Delhi Underground : Sending the wrong message

Kanimozhi’s diyas in demand

Many people who turned up at the Tihar stall in the ongoing Trade Fair,hoping to collect artifacts prepared by DMK MP Kanimozhi,had to return home disappointed. While Kanimozhi’s skills were advertised by women constables,the answers provided was that products made by her had been sold out. “Whatever she makes sells like hot cakes,in the regular shops which sell jail products. For Diwali,we had set up special sales,and the diyas she made were picked by a single family. Her work is beautiful,” one of the constables said. As an undertrial,the DMK Member of Parliament is not mandated to work on jail goods and products,but she does it out of choice,the constable added.

Can’t separate Advani from his rath

It was an internal battle to grab the first opportunity to welcome BJP veteran leader L K Advani when he ended his Jan Chetna Yatra in Delhi. While Advani was welcomed at the Ghazipur border,two stages were erected. One by the Mayur Vihar BJP section and one by the Ghazipur BJP unit. However,both sections were disappointed when the BJP veteran addressed the gathering from inside his rath.

St Stephen’s spat goes viral

The spat between Delhi University’s St. Stephens college and the alumni association founded by MP Sandeep Dikshit grew uglier with both sides launching rigorous attacks and counter attacks online.

In the latest spat College Principal Valson Thampu Thampu took note of a post on the Facebook page of the college alumni association headed by Congress MP Sandeep Dikshit.

Dikshit faction invited its members to a ‘Stephanian Lunch-get-together ‘ on the college lawns on December 11. Thampu shot back an e-mail press statement disallowed Dikshit and friends from “holding any function on College campus at all times” without getting his written permission.

Police,who? Show your ID

The day slain NRI Niranjani Pillay’s uncle and brother arrived from Durban at the IGI airport on November 16,a team of Delhi Police personnel were there in plain clothes to receive them. South African Embassy Officials who were in touch with them before they boarded the flight from Durban,were present too. What turned out to be an embarrassment for police officials was when they approached the family members. They were asked to show they ID cards by the Embassy officials,who doubted their credentials.

Cycle of politics

The third day of the trade fair saw UP CM Mayawati’s visit at her state pavilion. The entourage,with nearly a dozen officials and security personnel,almost stopped at every outlet and examined the goods. Minutes after she left a Moradabad-based businessman,whose stall displays wooden artifacts was heard thanking his stars. “I am so glad I didn’t get the wooden showpiece cycles here. I only got motorcycles,which Mayawatiji examined in great detail. Imagine how she would have reacted if I got the cycles,” he joked. Showcasing cycles,being the party symbol of behenji’s main opposition Mulayam Singh’s Samajwadi Party,is one of the unwritten rules of the UP pavilion,other stall staff said in lighter vein.

Sarkari chai… rejected

While most of the cross-examinations in the special CBI court hearing the 2G spectrum case have been verification of documents,defence counsel Majid Memon’s line of questioning made everyone attentive. While examining Reliance ADAG Group President A N Sethuraman,Memon insisted on every detail of how a CBI officer had asked Sethuraman to meet him at the former’s office. Even Sethuraman,who was in the witness box for three days then,got wary, especially when Memon requested him to check his mobile phone to confirm the time of the CBI officer’s call. It was later revealed that Memon was trying to establish whether the CBI had ‘tutored’ its witness – but not knowing that,Sethuraman decided to play it safe,and opted for full disclosure: He offered me a cup of tea,” he began,and then said as an afterthought,“but I did not take it!”. The courtroom erupted.