Delhi Confidential: No Selfies, Please

Advantage MP

Senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Sanjay Singh’s status as a newly elected Rajya Sabha member played its charm during the launch of BJP leader Yashwant Sinha’s ‘National Forum’ on Tuesday. Leaders from different political parties were present at the venue — Constitution Club — and Sanjay Singh arrived with fellow senior AAP leader Ashutosh, who was also expecting a Rajya Sabha ticket but was left out. Both sat in the second row in the audience. A few minutes later, a member from the organisers’ team approached Singh, the MP, and took him to the front row. Ashutosh remained seated in the second row. Sinha introduced Singh as a newly elected Rajya Sabha member and “tez tarrar neta (firebrand leader)”.

Anxious Over merger

An air of anxiety loomed as Railways Minister Piyush Goyal met all senior officials of the Railway Protection Force (RPF) in Rail Bhawan on Tuesday amid a buzz that the force will be merged with the Home Ministry to become just another paramilitary force. Officers who attended the meeting came out with the impression that their union, All-India RPF Association, was the bone of contention, and if they decide to disband the association on their own then the Railways may not pursue the subject of a merger. Officers later said it’s a Catch-22 situation for RPF because its association exists as a unique provision for a paramilitary force as per an Act of Parliament passed during the NDA-1 regime. Goyal has been vocal about abolition of the association, and has said the proposal is very much under discussion.