Catching CM on wrong foot

Uttar Pradesh governments latest scheme promising Rs 30,000 to girls from minority communities clearing Class X for marriage/education has irked the National Commission

CATCHING CM ON WRONG FOOT

Uttar Pradesh governments latest scheme promising Rs 30,000 to girls from minority communities clearing Class X for marriage/education has irked the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights. In a letter to Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav,NCPCR chairperson Kushal Singh has questioned how the government can pay for the marriage of an underage girl as at the time of clearing Class X,a student is usually aged around 15-16 years. She has urged that the government should,instead,advertise that the scheme is for further education or vocational courses.

POLITICS OVER ARREST

The JDUs estranged ally BJP was active Friday seeking to target Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar alleging dilly-dallying on the part of the JDU government in arresting IM operative Yasin Bhatkal from Indo-Nepal Border in the state. While party MP from Bhagalpur Shahnawaz Hussain posted several tweets on this line,his party colleague from Purnea Uday Singh even gave a notice to raise this issue during Zero Hour in Lok Sabha. Singh was later heard ruing that disruptions did not allow him an opportunity to raise it. In a series of tweets,former Bihar deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi wondered whether the JDU will declare Bhatkal a son-in-law because he is married in Bihar as one of its leaders had declared Ishrat Jahan the daughter of Bihar. What,however, raised eyebrows within the party was Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhans praise for central intelligence agencies for nabbing Tunda and Bhatkal.

BACK IN ACTION

In what came as a reassuring sign to many Congress leaders,Congress president Sonia Gandhi Friday chaired a meeting of the National Advisory Council NAC. She had been forced to leave Lok Sabha during discussions on Food Security Bill and go for a medical checkup to AIIMS on Monday after she had felt uneasy after taking some medicine. She also did not sit through voting on the Land Acquisition Bill on Thursday. Some party leaders said she had been running fever on Sunday but had chosen to work on her speech on Food Security Bill and deliver it the next day.

Trying to be noticed

Trinamool Congress MPs are amused by Bengal cinestar- turned-politician Tapas Pauls activism in Parliament of late. He has even been seen approaching the well of Lok Sabha to make anti-government slogans. Usually a quiet parliamentarian,Paul has been trying to earn brownie points with his party chief Mamata Banerjee,say Trinamool MPs. For reasons not known to the cinestar,she doesnt take his calls anymore. His sympathisers have apparently advised Paul to be visible in Parliament to impress Didi.