Lucknownama

The Muslim convention of the Bahujan Samaj Party, slated for Monday, has spoiled the weekend for the babus.

Muslim meet spoils babus8217; weekend
The Muslim convention of the Bahujan Samaj Party, slated for Monday, has spoiled the weekend for the babus. Orders came from the Secretariat8217;s fifth floor 8212; asking them to collect the details of all the schemes being run by the government for the welfare of Muslims. On Saturday, the information wing of the Chief Minister8217;s Office was asked to stay back late because party general secretary Satish Chandra Mishra had called on Nadwa cleric Maulana Rabe Hasni Nadni. Later, a brief press note was issued. But that wasn8217;t good enough. Orders from the top bosses followed to redraft the note, keeping in mind the convention. Poor babus had no option but to comply; doesn8217;t matter if it was a political matter which had nothing to do with the government.

BSP slams 8216;attractive8217; Babbar
Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil attracted flak from television channels for changing his dress thrice on the day Delhi was rocked by serial blasts. In UP, the BSP seems to harbour a dislike for fragrances, perfumes and soaps. First, it was Chief Minister Mayawati who said that Rahul Gandhi bathed with special fragrant soaps after visiting the huts of Dalits. Now, BSP state president Swami Prasad Maurya has targetted film actor Raj Babbar who joined the Congress last week. 8220;Everyone knows that Babbar changes his shoes and clothes many times in a day. He does not go out without applying cream and powder. To save himself from the smell of the sweat of the poor, he uses perfumes. In order to look attractive, he uses lipstick,8221; said Maurya. Neither Mayawati nor Maurya had disclosed from where they got the information.

BJP8217;s new 8216;crisis man8217; in state
Why has the BJP appointed Kalraj Mishra the in-charge of the party8217;s election affairs in UP? One purpose could be to counter the BSP8217;s 8220;Brahmin card8221;. Mishra could also help restore some order in the divided party in UP where every leader is an institution in himself. He is the only leader who can handle the ever-sulking Kalyan Singh. Though a section of the party is unhappy over his appointment, it is of little consequence. Incidentally, Mishra has never contested elections; he has always been a member of the Rajya Sabha or the legislative council.

ATS8217;s humanitarian gesture
The Anti-Terrorist Squad ATS has been interrogating Arif, a young boy accused of planting bombs at the Lucknow court complex last year. On Eid, the ATS gave Arif a cellphone so that he could speak to his mother in Azamgarh. Was it part of police tactic to break Arif? Or was the police trying to be politically correct? Lately, there have been allegations from Muslims that the police were framing youths in false cases, and the Samajwadi Party has lent support to such allegations. But ADG Law and Order Brij Lal insisted that the call was 8220;a purely humanitarian gesture8221;. One hopes the police brass will also do something about making their force humane and stop fake encounters, deaths in custody, extortion and high-handedness.

Officers8217; elections dilemma
The election fever is rising within the bureaucracy. The process of identifying loyal IAS and IPS officers has begun and lists of persons fit to discharge the duties of district magistrates, divisional commissioners, DIGs and zonal IGs are being prepared. The Appointment and the Home Department have been asked to scrutinise the profile of those officers who held field postings during the last Assembly elections in 2007. The memories of the EC strictness in ensuring free and fair elections are still fresh. Understandably, many officers see a great risk in going on field postings. After all, either you can please the EC or the government.