Delhi Confidential: War Of Words

The Trump administration’s claim of $21 million USAID funding for voter turnout in India has triggered a war of words not only between the BJP and the Congress, but also among the INDIA bloc allies. It has reignited the Communists’ angst against the Congress. This was reflected in a statement posted by CPI(M) MP John Brittas on Friday. “As debate rages on $21 million, let’s not forget that the EMS (Namboodiripad) Govt, which ushered in agrarian-educational reforms, was toppled by US using federal funds in 1959, as disclosed by the late US Ambassador Patrick Moynihan in his ‘A Dangerous Place’.” The post made the Kerala BJP camp happy as its leaders often remind the Communists that the then Congress-led Centre dismissed the Namboodiripad government in 1959.

To The Point

Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) chief Major General Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman Siddiqui led a high-level delegation to New Delhi (February 17-20) for the biannual Director General-level talks with the BSF. Usually, the BSF organises a mini-tour for the Bangladeshi delegation after the meeting. Last year, the visiting group was taken to Agra but this time no such trip was planned. The Dhaka delegation left soon after attending the talks. This was the first top-level meeting between the two border guarding forces after the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government in August last year.

Film Connection

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday praised the Vicky Kaushal-starrer historical movie Chhava — portraying the story of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj — during the 98th annual Marathi literature conference. Talking about Marathi language and its relation with films, the PM said that “these days Chhava has been making waves all across”. He also lauded the eponymous book written by Shivaji Sawant, on which the film is based.