Anyone for a PM?

Farhan Akhtar8217;s Lakshya may not have done very well at the box-office but it has certainly stirred the Indian Army. Hrithik Roshan is shown as an officer of the 3 Punjab battalion, which virtually wins the Kargil war for India, in the film. But Army top brass definitely isn8217;t amused as 3 Punjab did not exactly perform wonders during Kargil in the Batalik sector. In fact, the then 3 Punjab commanding officer, played by Amitabh Bachchan, was asked to go back to do the command course once again. The answers to these questions lie with one Lt Gen retd Shankar Prasad, who was the Director General Infantry during the Kargil War. Prasad, who belonged to 3 Punjab, ensured that Roshan played up his unit and regiment in the film as he had helped Akhtar in shooting in Kargil. Incidentally, Prasad was also the neighbour of Shabana Azmi, Farhan8217;s stepmother, at Lodi Estate while in service.

Over and above the dotted line

Ocean Development, Science and Technology Minister Kapil Sibal has taken to his job literally like a fish takes to water. That Sibal, who is more known for his legal prowess, is keen to push the S038;T agenda was evident when India and the US signed an MoU on the use of biotechnology in agriculture this week. Although the MoU was to be signed by US Ambassador to India Robert Mulford and Secretary Biotechnology M K Bhan, the keen minister initialled the document before Bhan could reach for his pen. The situation of course was sorted out, as Bhan signed on top of Sibal8217;s initials.

Meet the new Jaitley

Till the other day, former law minister Atul Jaitley was known for his designer kurta-pyjamas and labelled sandals. He made no secret of his fondness for all good things in life. But since he was made in-charge of the Bihar elections by the BJP, Jaitley has undergone a perceptible change. Not that he has started wearing a dhoti, but he is now a walking encyclopedia on castes in Bihar. Knowing that in Lalooland only caste and political alliances count and not corruption, Jaitley is all geared up to get Kurmis Nitish Kumar, Mallahs Jai Narayan Nishad, Bhoomihars C P Thakur, Rajputs Gopal Singh and Brahmins Kirti Azad on his side. Kayasthas Shatrughan and gang and Vaishyas Sushil Modi are low on priority as they represent a minuscule of the Bihar electorate. But there is one critical factor that can make or break Jaitley8217;s Bihar campaign and that is Ram Vilas Paswan. Much to the BJP8217;s glee, the Dalit leader is coming out against Laloo. But Jaitley is keeping his fingers crossed.

BMWs: The wheels no one wants

THE tale of the six luxurious bullet-proof BMW cars never seems to end. Imported from Germany by the NDA government for use by the prime minister and others protected by the SPG, the vehicles are now being used by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and former PM Atal Behari Vajpayee. It seems after Congress president Sonia Gandhi refused to use the BMWs, Manmohan Singh also had second thoughts and conveyed to the SPG that he would like to stick to the grand old bullet-proof ambassador. But the SPG would have none of it. It told the PM that these cars were not merely status symbols but one of the most advanced VVIP protection machines in the world. And when it comes to PM protection, SPG always has the last word.

8212; Express Bureau, New Delhi