On a high note

At CRPF DG Pranay Sahays farewell on Tuesday,some journalists were surprised when they received bottles of liquor as gifts

At CRPF DG Pranay Sahays farewell on Tuesday,some journalists were surprised when they received bottles of liquor as gifts. While the paramilitary force had reportedly decided to give liquor to all journalists,the plan was changed at the last minute after a senior officer noticed the bags. However,some bottles of liquor seemed to have escaped notice. Meanwhile,NSG DG Arvind Ranjan has been handed over additional charge of CRPF DG as the Cabinet Appointments Committee is yet to decide on Sahays successor.

Talking of another farewell,IB Special Director Rajender Kumar was given a rather quiet send-off over tea and coffee by his colleagues on his last day in office Wednesday. While an uncertain future awaits him,it now emerges that after his Gujarat assignment,he was mostly handling the Pakistan desk at the IB.

The official stamp

THAT Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi is playing an active role in organisational matters,including in key appointments,is well-known. But,much to the surprise of many in the party,it has now declared this fact officially. An AICC press release,issued by the partys communications department chairman Ajay Maken on Wednesday,stated that Congress president Sonia Gandhi and vice-president Rahul Gandhi have approved the appointment of two national media coordinators.

Till today,all such decisions were attributed to the Congress president only. The two coordinators will monitor the authorised party spokespersons appearing on TV channels.

Missing Advani

TOP RSS and BJP leaders are slated to meet in the capital on Thursday for organisational coordination. While this is the second BJP-RSS coordination meeting since Rajnath Singh took over as party president,it will be the first time Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi will be attending the meet with other member of the partys parliamentary board. Curiously,party patriarch L K Advani,who skipped the Goa executive where Singh announced Modi as the partys chief campaigner,will skip this meeting as well. His office claimed that he will be in Salem Tamil Nadu for a pre-scheduled programme. RSS second-in-command Bhaiyyaji Joshi is learnt to have met Advani beforehand to take his suggestions for the meeting.

Farewell shot

UNION Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde served a parting shot to Delhi Police Commissioner Neeraj Kumar who retired on Wednesday. The rift between Shinde and Kumar came to the fore when the minister skipped the bhumi pujan ceremony organised by the Delhi Police for their new headquarters. According to officials,the home ministry sent a written note to Kumar expressing its displeasure over the mishandling of security at Shindes residence when Jat protesters barged into his home while he was away. The slip-up during West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjees visit to the Planning Commission,when she was heckled by SFI supporters,has also been cited as one of the reasons for Shindes ire.