Modi’s new headache is joke on Laloo ‘head’ in official magazine

This joke, on the last page of the February 16 issue of the state government’s fortnightly Gujarat—it appeared long before the spat over the ‘‘attack’’ on Laloo when he went to visit victims of the Sabarmati Express train accident last month—is kicking up a new row between Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and Union Railway Minister Laloo Prasad Yadav.

Laloo, who came to know about the issue recently, is far from happy. The RJD chief’s office has taken ‘‘serious note’’ and those close to him say that he may use this issue to slam Modi afresh.

Though the Railway minister was not available for comment, his Officer on Special Duty, Sudhir Kumar, said this was ‘‘a serious issue’’ and that they were ‘‘looking into it.’’

The state government is already on the defensive.

Director of Information Bipinkumar Srimali, who also edits the magazine, says the joke doesn’t name anybody and so ‘‘it’s innocent humour’’. It was not the magazine’s intention to harm anybody, he said, and that staff had debated over carrying the joke, but then thought ‘‘it shouldn’t be a problem.’’

But those in political circles differ: The sting, they say, is that such a joke has appeared in a government publication.

Arjun Modhvadia, leader of the opposition in the state assembly, says that publishing such a politically-loaded joke in a party magazine is one thing, publishing it in a government magazine is quite another.

‘‘We have always been pointing out how this government is using the state machinery to achieve political ends. We are going to take up the issue and demand that the chief minister should tender an apology. We aren’t bothered about what they publish in a party magazine. But this is not their party magazine,’’ he said.

The Information department had earlier faced a storm over using the Prime Minister’s photograph without permission on the cover of a booklet on the denial of US visa to Modi.

The booklet was on how all of India, including his political opponents and bitter critics, had stood behind Modi on the issue.

The PMO objected after the issue came to light. So did Modi’s critic lyricist Javed Akhtar who said he was quoted out of context as having supported Modi.