Hounding newsmen

While Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav often breaks his security cordon, his security personnel go to the other extreme. At a recent press conference called by the CM, mediapersons were in for a rude shock. Besides being kept waiting for over an hour, they had to submit themselves to numerous security checks during their wait. Not satisfied, the authorities roped in the help of a police dog, which went around sniffing all the journalists.

Reserved for Brahmins

With the case of 40 BSP legislators switching their loyalty to the Samajwadi Party overnight and helping form the Mulayam government on August 29, 2002, still pending in court, former advocate general Satish Mishra is Mayawati8217;s new poster boy. Mayawati has made Mishra a Rajya Sabha member, and is projecting him as the 8216;8216;Brahmin face8217;8217; of the Dalit party at every public meeting and party convention. Of course, at such functions, Mayawati never forgets to mention Mishra8217;s name in the context of the legal battle against the SP. 8216;8216;I have asked Satish Mishra to go all out against the Mulayam government by fighting the defection case in court. We will face the Mulayam government on all fronts, including the courts,8217;8217; she said while addressing a worker8217;s convention in Lucknow last month.