Lucknownama

BSP was never an admirer of Mahatma Gandhi. It always believed that B R Ambedkar was the real benefactor of Dalits.

BSP finally appreciates the Mahatma in Gandhi?
BSP was never an admirer of Mahatma Gandhi. It always believed that B R Ambedkar was the real benefactor of Dalits. A few months ago,Mayawati had even called Gandhi a natakbaj saying he spent time in Dalit bastis but did nothing for them. On Gandhi Jayanti,however,the UP government placed advertisements in newspapers,stating that Gandhis fundamental philosophy of Daridra Narayana was embodied in its policy of Sarvajan Sukhay,Sarvajan Hitay. On the eve of Gandhi Jayanti,Mayawati also lavished praise on Gandhi in a statement saying,a commitment to create an equitable society by uplifting the exploited,deprived,poor,and resourceless people will be a true homage to Gandhi. Has Mayawati re-discovered Gandhi? Or is it recognition of some political necessity?

BJPs epic shift: Ramayana to Mahabharata
The Ramayana has been the BJPs favourite epic. During the Lok Sabha election campaign,Lalji Tandon never got tired of likening himself to Bharat to drive home the point that he was the inheritor of Atal Behari Vajpayees legacy. Just as Bharat worshipped Rams khadaun while he was on exile,Tandon said he would keep Vajpayees khadaun while the grand old man was away in Delhi. It is another matter that after winning the Lok Sabha election,Tandon stopped talking of Vajpayees khadaun. Now Amit Puri,who has upstaged Tandon by bagging the party ticket for Lucknow West by-election,reportedly prefers to be likened to Hanuman. But who is the Ram to ensure his victory? The bitterness and the quiet warfare his nomination has triggered in the BJP reminds one of another epic the Mahabharata.

Joshis word for the week criticism
Rita Bahuguna Joshi seems to be going through a bad phase. First,there was a controversy over the alleged misappropriation of election funds. Now her directive to Congressmen to observe Gandhi Jayanti by spending the night in Dalit villages has created fresh problems. It is alleged that the directive was sent out just a few days ago,giving partymen little time to plan. Joshi,however,planned her own visit well in advance,it is learnt. Since most of these visits have attracted criticism for the manner in which they were conducted,party leaders have started blaming Joshi for the disaster and making a mockery of the practice started by Rahul Gandhi. That is the last thing anyone in the Congress would like to be accused of doing.

RTI notices in postcards will save money,also offenders
As part of its cost-cutting measures,the State Information Commission has decided to send notices by postcards,in place of sealed letters. According to an estimate,the commission would save around Rs 2,375 on a daily basis. RTI activists are,however,crying foul. They argue that the commission should be sending notices through registered post so that nobody could skip a hearing on the pretext of non-receipt of a notice. Information commissions in some states do,in fact,send notices by registered posts,they claim.

Cricket caught in powerplay
Relations between the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association (UPCA) and the state government have not been hunky dory for the past few years,be it under the Mulayam raj or the Maya raj. The UPCA has decided to form a four-member coordination committee to bridge the gap between the UPCA and the state government. UPCA official Prem Dhar Pathak said,We are not happy with the amount we were asked to pay on various occasions. For example,we had to pay Rs 1 crore to the government for holding a one-day cricket match between India and England at Kanpurs Green Park last year. This was several times more than what we had paid for the India-Pakistan ODI in 2007. This committee will help sort out such issues. Good luck to the UPCA! But,when does it plan to oblige to the BCCIs demand of constructing its own stadium.

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