KO146;ed in absence

When it comes to guarding one8217;s turf, Cabinet ministers can put aggression over propriety in cabinet meetings. Take the draft sports policy piloted by Sports Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar. The minister was not in India the day it was to be discussed in a Cabinet meeting, so a decision on the policy had to be automatically deferred. Yet, several Cabinet ministers sought the Prime Minister8217;s permission to deliberate upon the policy against the usual practice of not criticising a minister who is not present. Starting with All India Football Federation president Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi, several other ministers took turns to tear apart Aiyar8217;s proposals. They said the policy harmed the autonomy of sports federations. Apart from Dasmunsi, others who contributed to the anti-Aiyar tirade were Sharad Pawar, Lalu Prasad Yadav, Santosh Mohan Deb and Vayalar Ravi. While the matter will still come back to the Cabinet when Aiyar is present, he will presumably have a rough ride.