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Journalism of Courage
With just four members in the Rajya Sabha,RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav had reached out to like-minded parties seeking support in instigating trouble in the Upper House on Thursday. It is learnt that Lalu,who was present in the visitors gallery,contacted Ram Gopal Yadav of the Samajwadi Party and sought his partys cooperation in creating disturbance along with RJDs Rajniti Prasad with the aim of avoiding a vote on the Lokpal Bill. Ram Gopal Yadav,whose party had vigorously opposed the Lokpal Bill and moved several amendments,however,refused to play ball and politely turned down the request.
Year-end break
Good old Amby
Newly inducted minister Ajit Singh wants to travel to his constituency in an Ambassador car the ultimate symbol of government power. The trouble is the Civil Aviation Ministry,like most others,have moved on to newer models of cars for ministers and higher officials. Singh asked his officials to look around for an Ambassador in Airports Authority of India or Air India. But these PSUs only had rickety old Ambassadors. The ministry is learnt to have finally decided to place an order for a new Ambassador car.
House alternative
After chairperson Hamid Ansari adjourned the House sine die following the midnight drama in the Rajya Sabha,several Opposition members remained in the House,angry,upset and disappointed. At this point,one senior Opposition member came up with the rather adventurous suggestion that the Chairs ruling should be rejected,a chairperson from among them should be immediately elected and the House be continued. The inspiration,of course,came from a similar drama that had been played out in the Lok Sabha during the monsoon session last year when Lalu Yadav and Mulayam Singh Yadav,upset on the issue of caste census,had enacted a mock Parliament with the help of OBC MPs after Speaker Meira Kumar had adjourned the House sine die. Thursdays suggestion,which came from the BJP benches,was quickly scuttled with party leadership sensing that any such move would only divert attention from the governments discomfort.
On song
South Indian actor Dhanush is clearly going places after his superhit song Kolaveri di. Dhanush was recently invited to the Prime Minister Manmohan Singhs banquet for visiting Prime Minister of Japan. The song is apparently becoming popular in Japan as well and Dhanush was learnt to be quite an attraction at the dinner.
