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Journalism of Courage
Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi may have survived the Opposition onslaught, media denouncement and international criticism for his government8217;s questionable role in the recent communal violence, but he8217;s not out of the woods yet. After defending him through thick and thin, his party has turned on the heat now.
Last week, the BJP8217;s point man for Gujarat, Ram Das Agarwal, was in Gandhinagar, listening to complaints against Modi from local workers. This week, it8217;s the turn of the party president, Jana Krishnamurthy himself. And Krishnamurthy has taken with him Modi8217;s arch rival Sanjay Joshi.
Joshi used to be the BJP8217;s organisation secretary in Gujarat till Modi had him removed.
In fact, anticipating interference, Modi had made Joshi8217;s ouster a prestige issue when he was appointed CM. After lying low in Delhi for several months, Joshi recently surfaced as the party high command for Gujarat in Krishnamurthy8217;s quirky reshuffle of portfolios. It8217;s a recipe for trouble. BJP circles are wondering whether there8217;s a design in it.
RSVP regrets only
Laloo was hugely disappointed when Sonia Gandhi regretted the invitation to his daughter8217;s wedding in Patna. The official excuse was that the date clashed with the AICC session, although Laloo apparently pleaded with his friends in the Congress to end the meet in time for Sonia to fly to Patna.
But there8217;s more to Sonia8217;s 8216;8216;no8217;8217; than meets the eye. It was a political decision, taken after an intensive discussion within the party. It was felt that Sonia8217;s presence would send all the wrong signals as it would imply embarrassing Congress complicity in the controversies surrounding the ceremonies like the ostentatious expenditure and the forcible acquisition of new cars from company showrooms.
As a matter of form 8212; after all Laloo is a Congress ally 8212; the party sent representatives in Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairperson Najma Heptullah, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Ajit Jogi and general secretary in charge of Bihar Oscar Fernandes. But with the AICC political resolution hinting that the present Congress-RJD tieup may just be a temporary arrangement, Sonia8217;s absence on Laloo8217;s big day could be the first signs of a chill in the relationship.
Natwar on a roll
The surprise star of last week8217;s AICC session was Natwar Singh whose sparkling speech at the end of the day proved that he has a sense of humour behind the stern expression he8217;s known to carry. He certainly woke up the crowd with a series of witty barbs directed at the Vajpayee Government8217;s foreign policy and successfully turned a subject which otherwise lends itself to pomposity into a lively discussion the audience enjoyed.
But what really brought the house down was his call to all those over 70, including himself, to retire and make way for the next generation. While many on the dais must have squirmed, the crowd loved it and responded with wild applause. Even Sonia Gandhi smiled appreciatively.
Fuelling a row
A recent meeting of the parliamentary standing committee of the Petroleum Ministry was marred by a sharp attack from Samajwadi chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and former Gujarat Chief Minister and Congress MP Shankar Sinh Vaghela on the allotment of petrol pumps and gas agencies.
They apparently accused the Ministry of openly favouring BJP members and supporters and questioned the interview procedure adopted by the oil selection boards which are supposed to recommend the allottees.
Their remarks were well-timed because the Ministry had just issued advertisements for the interviews. It seems the interviews have since been cancelled and Petroleum Minister Ram Naik now wants to put the allotment procedure in the hands of the oil companies to escape flak. But he seems to have bitten off more than he can chew because a section of his own party is up in arms against his proposal.
