Delhi confidential: In The Spotlight

The importance of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh joint general secretary Krishna Gopal, the pointman between the Sangh and the BJP, was visible at the Rashtrapati Bhavan ‘At-Home’ on Tuesday. Not only was the RSS functionary the cynosure of all eyes, surrounded as he was by VIPs, but almost all ministers, including allies like Ram Vilas Paswan, were seen making their way to him. Paswan was introduced to Gopal by Union Telecommunications and Information Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, and remained in conversation with him for some time. Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker M Thambidurai was also seen walking up to the RSS pointman.

Reshuffle Talk

EVER SINCE the Congress’s rout in the Lok Sabha elections, there has been talk of a major organisational revamp which will have a full Rahul Gandhi imprint. The buzz comes up periodically, and then fades away. Speculation about an AICC reshuffle is once again gaining ground, and, if leaders close to Rahul are to be believed, the revamp could happen within a month — before campaigning begins for assembly elections due in April-May. Sources said there could be more representation from the states going to polls.

‘Gujarati Bose’

AS MANY as 17 members of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose’s family were in Delhi, at the official invitation of the culture ministry, for the declassification of the Netaji files. The initiative was taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has known several relatives of Bose for years — some of them even speak Gujarati. At the event on January 23, Modi spoke with them in his mother tongue, and referred to a member as “Gujarati Bose”.