BMW runs riot van

In fact Behen Maya Wati’s (BMW) strongarmed methods have many of her political opponents running for cover. She is determined to make Raja Bhaiyya, the jailed Independent MLA who masterminded the Operation Topple, as uncomfortable as possible while he is in custody. Bhaiyya is shifted from one jail to another routinely and is made to travel the length of UP in a riot van known as vajra, which has no windows and heavy wire meshing which makes it extremely claustrophobic.

Bhaiyya, who was recently shifted from the Fatehgarh to Jhansi jail, also had to travel in the suffocating van when he came to Lucknow for the MLC poll. Aware that being detained in Mayawati’s regime is no picnic, Raja Bhaiyya’s supporters have got slightly nervous over their campaign to dislodge her.

A senior SP leader even sought Dy PM Advani’s intervention to ensure that he was not locked up under NSA if he goes to UP.

Law unto himself?

A meeting last week to discuss subsidies for drought-hit farmers saw Finance Minister Jaswant Singh ranged against his ministerial colleagues, Deputy PM L.K. Advani, Agriculture Minister Ajit Singh, Food and Public Distribution Minister Sharad Yadav and Rural Development Minister Shanta Kumar.

As head of the Finance Ministry, Singh’s opposition to fresh doles is understandable, but what irked the others at the meeting was his high-handed attitude of stonewalling any discussion. Advani as the meeting’s chairperson suggested that Finance Secretary S. Narayan could perhaps submit a proposal after examining the issue. Singh threw cold water on the idea remarking that his secretary could not take a decision on his own and the file would come in any case to him for clearance.

To emphasise the primacy of the Finance Ministry, Singh added, ‘‘if at all the Finance Ministry is subject to orders from anyone.’’ Advani felt it was time to administer a gentle snub. ‘‘Everyone is subject to orders from someone higher,’’ he remarked sharply.

Super Secretary

There is considerable heartburn among officials of the Finance Ministry that Vijay Kelkar’s report on taxation is to be presented directly to the Cabinet. Since this is a concept paper that makes radical proposals regarding withdrawal of subsidies, it should rightfully have first been examined by a committee of secretaries, particularly as some of the proposals are contrary to the NDA agenda.

Though he has been designated an adviser to the ministry, Kelkar enjoys the status of a super secretary because of his proximity to the minister. He is part of the key discussions by the ministry on taxation proposals for the forthcoming Budget, although according to convention, only the Finance Minister and the secretaries of Finance, Revenue, Expenditure, Banking and the chief economic adviser attend these closed-door meetings. Previous advisers to the ministry, such as Jairam Ramesh and Mohan Guruswamy, were not granted this privilege.

Captain gets even

Is the UP Congress’s curious abstention from the crucial election for the lone seat to the UP Vidhan Parishad related to Lalit Suri’s election to the Rajya Sabha. Captain Satish Sharma was furious at the election of his former partner turned foe, who was sponsored by the Samajwadi Party (SP). (Suri, in fact, is the second member from the inner circle of the Gandhis to switch to the SP camp, the first being Amitabh Bachchan).

The explanation trotted out in Delhi that the Congress had reservations about SP candidate Yeshwant Singh’s checkered background is not tenable considering that he has a far less colourful history than some of the history-sheeters elected to the UP Assembly.

Nor does the local Congress boss Pramod Tewari have enough clout to swing the decision. It is hardly coincidental that Motilal Vora, who is the party general secretary in charge of UP, happens to be very close to Captain Sharma.

Lock Law

The services of new Additional Solicitor General Raju Ramachandran were required urgently in handling some government briefs. But although the notification appointing Ramachandran was issued, he could not join work for an odd reason. A copy of his appointment order was not delivered to him. A member of the secretarial staff in the Law Ministry had locked up the notification in a drawer and left for the weekend and no one had the duplicate key.

On Monday the notification was finally retrieved and the order made. But then a fresh complication emerged; it was discovered that thanks to a clerical error, the new law officer’s name had been typed as Raju Subramaniam.

Watch out

An official in an economic ministry who sports a Rs 4.5-lakh gold Rolex watch is in hot water. Investigative agencies have been making inquiries as to whether it is indeed a genuine gift.