Lucknownama

Checking of vehicles at Lucknow Mahotsav, which began after the Mumbai terror attacks, hasn8217;t gone down well with certain VIPs and those who regard themselves as VIPs.

8216;Frisked8217; VIP unhappy with cops
Checking of vehicles at Lucknow Mahotsav, which began after the Mumbai terror attacks, hasn8217;t gone down well with certain VIPs and those who regard themselves as VIPs. After all, how can they be VIPs if their vehicles are stopped and checked like those of the ordinary people? The result: securitymen often have to face verbal assaults from these men and women with inflated egos. A political leader tried to bully the securitymen when his SUV was stopped on Saturday. 8220;Kya bevkoofi hai yeh. Jaante ho kiski gaadi hai?8221; he growled. When the policemen remained unmoved, he said, 8220;Terrorist ko pakad nahin pate, hum logon ko pareshan karte hain.8221; But then, policemen doing their job without fear and in anticipation of a favour, was the last thing our VIPs want.

SP minister playing hooky?
Though BSP parliamentarian Lalmani Prasad emerged safe after the security forces neutralised the terrorists in the Taj Mahal Hotel in Mumbai, there are other problems facing him. His presence in the hotel came as a surprise to many BSP leaders in Lucknow. 8220;Arre, unhe to Madhya Pradesh mein hona chahiye tham,8221; said a senior BSP leader. It seems Prasad was sent to Madhya Pradesh for campaigning. But he left the state without informing anyone, only to surface in Mumbai. It puts a question mark on BSP8217;s system of spying on its own men. The MP, and those who were supposed to keep a watch on him, may have to do some explaining.

Ajeya Singh: BSP or SP?
Ajeya Singh, son of former prime minister V P Singh, is all set to contest the next Lok Sabha election from Fatehpur. Both the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party are said to be keen to adopt him. But Singh, it is learnt, wants to maintain a neutral stance. He would these parties to support him and refrain from fielding their own candidates. An official in the chief minister8217;s secretariat, who had enjoyed good relations with V P Singh right from his days as the UP chief minister in 1980-82, is said to be trying to broker a deal with Mayawati. Santosh Bhartiya, former MP and journalist who was a confidante of V P Singh, wants Singh to contest as a SP candidate. Santosh was in Allahabad on November 29 to attend V P Singh8217;s funeral where he apparently spoke to Mulayam Singh Yadav about the issue. What transpired between them is not known, but according to sources, the SP chief has asked Santosh to meet him in Delhi after the results of the Assembly elections in four states are announced.

Govt in a 8216;hurry8217; to demolish colony
The government would like everyone to believe that the demolition of Parikalp Nagar Colony on Kanpur Road was ordered because the buildings were old and dilapidated. But what was the hurry of starting the demolition on Friday night? And what were a bunch of officers 8212; including Secretary to Chief Minister, Navneet Sehgal 8212; doing there? Many of them camped there until the demolition was complete. Rarely do you get to see the official machinery working with such single-minded devotion to get something done at jet speed.

Amar Singh wants to be the PM?
L K Advani is BJP8217;s prime ministerial candidate. That Mayawati also aspires to be the prime minister is also well known. Now, Samajwadi Party general secretary Amar Singh, too, seems to have thrown his hat in the ring. At a press conference last week, when Singh was asked to comment on Prime Minister Manmohan Sin-gh8217;s demand from Pakistan to send the ISI chief to India in connection with the Mu-mbai terror attack probe, Singh said: 8220;Neither am I a part of the government, nor have I become the prime minister yet.8221; As could be expected, Singh8217;s 8220;yet8221; bit set tongues wagging. Nothing wrong if Amar Singh aspires to be the PM, but what does netaji has to say about his ambition?