Red star over scientists

The normally affable and genial Dr Manmohan Singh is not known to blow his top, but it was an exasperated PM who ticked off Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, much to the delight of Ajay Maken, Minister of State for Urban Development and Dikshit8217;s bete noire. Manmohan had come to pay his respects to Rajiv Gandhi at Vir Bhoomi, along with Sonia Gandhi and family, on August 20. In tow was Maken, who tried to score brownie points by briefing the PM on his favourite National Urban Renewal Mission. Sensing an opportunity here, Dikshit also jumped into the conversation. The PM turned towards her and castigated the Delhi Government for going slow on readying the city infrastructure for the 2010 Commonwealth Games. Dikshit spluttered in defence, but the PM would have none of it and continued berating her in front of Maken. The tongue-lashing had its effects: Banners saying 8220;1,500 days to Commonwealth Games 20108221; appeared all over Delhi the very next day.

His own choices

Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran8217;s detractors are overjoyed that he got neither the expected one-year-extension nor the coveted post of diplomatic adviser to the Prime Minister. His friends in South Block also believe Saran was given short shrift by the PM as a mere envoy on the nuclear deal. But facts speak otherwise. On August 30, both Saran and Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan Shiv Shanker Menon, were called to the PMO for the meeting to decide on the next foreign secretary. The PM gave Saran a choice: a one-year extension or a post as diplomatic adviser to seal the nuclear deal. Saran was quick to turn down the second option as he did not want a civil war in the PMO, what with National Security Adviser M.K. Narayanan zealously guarding his beat. Instead, Saran told the PM that if the nuclear deal was the only reason for his extension then he could do the same as his envoy. Not to miss the opportunity, Saran also pushed for his colleague and friend Menon8217;s elevation as foreign secretary. He knew with the pressure mounting from other contenders, this was Menon8217;s last chance at the post.

Brickbats, not bouquets

A week before he was eased out as chairman, GAIL India Ltd, Proshanto Banerjee was actually pitching for a Padma award. In a letter to Petroleum Minister Murli Deora, Banerjee had sought the ministry8217;s 8220;support and blessings8217;8217; for his getting a Padma Shri in the Trade and Industry category. He told Deora that the 8220;SCOPE Award for Excellence and Outstanding Contribution to the Public Sector Management8217;8217; individual category had qualified him for the Padma and the application was being submitted by the Standing Conference of Public Enterprises SCOPE. However, all this failed to impress Deora who had, in fact, recommended against Banerjee8217;s extension in office. The babu8217;s mentor in the oil and gas sector eased him out last Sunday and his request now gathers dust in the ministry.

Ready answer

The Supreme Court may have thrown out the PIL seeking an inquiry into the expenditure incurred by Lalu Prasad Yadav for his daughter8217;s lavish wedding at a five-star hotel in the Capital, saying it was not a 8220;police thana8221;. But the Bihari overlord is not ecstatic either; he had not been perturbed by the PIL in the first place. According to his aides, the main query of the PIL was on how the minister made payments of 8220;more than Rs 10 lakh in cash, that too at one time8217;8217;. His lawyers had the answer8212;the money was received as shagun gifts during the function. 8220;This argument would have sealed the case in our favour,8221; says an insider.

Unsaid words

It8217;s not the hits but the misses that have raised a lot of curiosity8212;the Congress has sent to all news studios a list of 20 chosen people authorised to speak for the party and the most glaring absentee is none other than Ambika Soni, cabinet minister, confidante of Sonia Gandhi and fave media interlocutor. Much to her chagrin, the list includes her not-so-fave colleague, Renuka Chowdhury. Apart from Soni, other castaways included Union ministers S Jaipal Reddy, Sriprakash Jaiswal and leaders Devendranath Dwivedi, Mukul Wasnik and Tom Vadakkan. Interestingly, Wasnik is a spokesperson and Vadakkan is in charge of the AICC media department. However, BK Hari Prasad, Satyavrat Chatruvedi and V Narayanasamy8212;all Rajya Sabha MPs8212;are on the panel. Other ministers on the panel are Suresh Pachouri, Pawan Kumar Bansal, Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi, Kapil Sibal, Ashwani Kumar and Jairam Ramesh. Mohan Prakash, a former Janata Dal leader who joined the Congress three years ago, is also in the list. Now who could have made this pitiless list?

Crude for thought

If energy economists are to be believed, here8217;s a theory that everybody would love to believe. Apparently, crude oil prices are expected to climb down by June-July next year and guess why? The answer lies in the 8220;huge discovery8221; made in the Rocky Mountains also sometimes referred to as the 8220;US government8217;s secret Colorado oil discovery8221; that has some of the largest reserves in the world. According to some estimates, these are eight times more than Saudi Arabia8217;s and 22 times more than Kuwait8217;s. The region that has remained restricted for the last seven decades is now open for drilling. For the record, some members of the Prime Minister8217;s Energy Coordination Committee are in the know of these developments.

Friends as foes

It8217;s the irony 8212; Left leaders who played a key role in getting Nepal8217;s Maoists to the negotiating table with the Seven Party Alliance are now apparently under threat from the Maoists themselves. This is what the security agencies have told the CPIM8217;s Sitaram Yechury and CPI8217;s D Raja. So much so that the threats qualify them for 8216;Y8217; category security. The leaders themselves are not so convinced, though. One of them asked why the Maoists, with whom he continues to be in regular touch, would want to eliminate him. In fact, there was a similar threat perception to them earlier this year after the G P Koirala government took over in Nepal in late April. But they are not taking chances either and are getting lessons in security etiquette8212;how to keep their PSOs comfortable, with food and other supplies just in case they are actually posted at their gates.

Confusion confounded

The visit of an academic delegation from Thailand to the Congress headquarters last week was a comedy of errors. If the delegates were announced to be Lebanese, it was the Thais who turned up. Then the mortified Congress officials tripped on everything. During the presentation on the party8217;s history, Motilal Vora said the Congress had ruled India till 1991. Someone whispered he must certainly be counting P V Narasimha Rao as a BJP man, but none dared to correct the veteran. Then the voluble V Narayanasamy held forth and sufficiently confused the Thais on NREG and RTI. The Thais wanted to know if the Congress was right of centre or left of centre and Margaret Alva helpfully explained it was 8220;centre of the centre,8221; whatever that means. The delegates wanted to know how the Congress funded its elections. Everyone looked at Treasurer Vora, and not one to be beaten easily, he virtually read out the entire report of a committee headed by Dr Manmohan Singh on how the party should reorganise its fund collection. The Thais were indeed confounded.

The Congress calendar last week had no less than four functions to felicitate Union Minister Without Portfolio Oscar Fernandes, who celebrated 25 years of his marriage to Blossom. The full attendance was commensurate with his growing clout in the party. The 65-year-old candidly admitted he had a late marriage and recalled how it was not easy to find a bride, even though he was an MP! But Fernandes prides himself for keeping fit8212;the secret is yoga, Kuchipudi and theatre. Now if only his bosses had thought of the perfect anniversary gift, a portfolio, maybe.

Quiet statistics

UTTAR Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh is a proverbial hard nut to crack when it comes to an argument but it only took the mild-mannered Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Haryana CM, to put Mulayam in a fix. Making a case against the 8220;discriminatory8221; Centre, Mulayam said no one seemed to mind when an entrepreneur set up an SEZ in Haryana but there was a hue and cry when a similar project was proposed in Noida. Hooda shot back, 8220;I have given Rs 23 lakh an acre as compensation to my farmers. How much have you paid?8221; A speechless Mulayam did not push further.

Tailpiece

Are the gods really in favour of Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje? A few months ago, Raje performed a dozen pujas invoking the gods for rains and there was a downpour. Now, she8217;s back at their feet again, this time beseeching the celestial beings to stop the deluge. One can mark her sense of urgency that on a single day, she prayed at Gogamedhi in the north of the state and Ramdeora in the far west. Perhaps someone should warn the 8220;Puja Princess8217;8217; to beware8212;sometimes wishes can come true.