Flight delays

Senior leader L K Advani all but missed the inaugural session of the BJP national executive in Mumbai on Thursday.

Flight delays

Senior leader L K Advani all but missed the inaugural session of the BJP national executive in Mumbai on Thursday. He was halfway to Mumbai on an early morning commercial flight from Delhi when the aircraft had to make an about turn and return to Delhi to offload a passenger who had suddenly taken ill. The time consumed in returning to Delhi and then flying back again ensured that Advani could reach the venue barely minutes before the inaugural session started.

Regional Problems

ONLY a few days ago,the Group of Ministers on Media had enthusiastically supported a proposal from the Information and Broadcasting Ministry to occasionally move outstation to engage with the regional press. The idea was to spread the word about the UPA governments achievements in a better manner. The steep rise in petrol prices seems to have forced a rethink. At recent meetings,many members of the GoM,including its chairman,Home Minister P Chidambaram,are learnt to have advised against making such a move,since it could be more difficult to defend the petrol price hike in smaller towns and cities.

Opposing Views

WHILE Mulayam Singh has expressed his reservations against a bureaucrat naukarshah being nominated for the post of President,the SP chiefs strong position against bureaucrats doesnt match his political moves. Even if one discounts that he had first floated technocrat A P J Abdul Kalams name for the President in 2002,he has not been averse to promoting persons with little political background in 2012 UP Assembly elections. Mulayam had fielded retired IPS officer M Chandra,former IIM faculty member Abhishek Mishra son of retired IAS officer Jai Shankar Mishra and Juhie Singh daughter of retired IAS officer A P Singh from separate constituencies in Lucknow in the recently concluded UP Assembly elections. While the first two won,Juhie lost to Kalraj Mishra. What is more,Mulayam has got former DIG Ahmed Hasan installed as the partys leader in state Legislative Council despite the fact that he is Health Minister under Akhilesh Yadav,who happens from the same House.

New Contender

WITH politicians of all hues vying for the post of President,it was a matter of time before a non-political name also emerged on the horizon. The Society of Indian Law Firms SILF has now floated the name of constitutional expert and senior Supreme Court lawyer Fali S Nariman for the post. SILF president Lalit Bhasin,who issued a release to extend support to Nariman,feels that while various names of illustrious political leaders are being considered for the post of the President of India,one should not lose sight of others who are equally if not more deserving to hold this position. Nariman,he adds,is an an exceptional and great citizen of this country a person of great eminence,caliber,integrity and knowledge. He also points out that since the President is the constitutional head of the country,Nariman is the best choice since no one knows the Constitution and its working better than Fali Nariman.

Staying Put

THE HRD Ministry has a new Secretary in the Department of Higher Education. Old hand Ashok Thakur has taken over from Vibha Puri Das,who has moved to the Ministry of Tribal Affairs as Secretary. Incidentally,it was Thakur who was tipped to go to the Tribal Affairs Ministry when he was elevated as Special Secretary in the HRD Ministry some time back. But the 1977-batch IAS officer was apparently not too keen,and was said to be more interested in another job that of Chief Secretary in his home state of Himachal Pradesh. Neither happened,and now he has stayed put where he was.