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Journalism of Courage
Politicians, who wear their socialist ideology on their sleeve, set aside their avowed anathema for capitalists to enthusiastically welcome beer baron Vijay Mallya into their fold by anointing him the senior Vice-President of the Janata Dal (United) today.
Presiding over the show in the precincts of the Jantar Mantar office of the JD(U) was party chief Sharad Yadav, a product of the JP movement.
Yadav and his cohorts went overboard when they heaped praise on Mallya, till now an Independent Rajya Sabha member, even declaring that he was Prime Minister material. Party general secretary K.C. Tyagi outdid his chief when he declared that Mallya was filling a void in south India.
‘‘People like S. Nijalingappa and Ramakrishna Hegde who walked the corridors of this building went on to become CMs. Except Rajiv Gandhi all other prime ministers have had some association with this building,’’ he said.
Asked to explain the import of his statement by MP Rajiv Shukla, Tyagi said he had no doubt Mallya could become prime minister if he was able to ensure election of party MPs from Karnataka.
Replying to the felicitation, Mallya customary politician’s described the function as a ‘‘beautiful experience.’’
