Opinion Family included
Parliamentarians were advised to behave with decorum during US President Barack Obamas address in Central Hall.
-
Share -
-
-
Family included
Parliamentarians were advised to behave with decorum during US President Barack Obamas address in Central Hall. The suggestion,conveyed verbally,was in the context of MPs behaving like star struck teenagers during Bill Clintons visit to the Indian Parliament,when MPs stood on chairs and clambered over desks to shake his hand. The organising committee for Obamas Parliament visit feared it might be difficult to accommodate MPs and former MPs since Central Hall has a capacity of only 950 and there are 790 MPs and some 1,700 former MPs. To keep the number of ex-MPs to a minimum,the procedure for their admission was announced only on the website in the expectation that few would look up the internet. All the same,the venerable hall was filled to capacity and latecomers,including some ministers of state,had to stand at the back. At least four persons who had no locus standi were also accommodated: the spouses of President Pratibha Patil and Speaker Meira Kumar,Sonia Gandhis son-in-law Robert Vadra and L K Advanis daughter Pratibha Advani.
Ignoring protocol
PRIME Minister Manmohan Singh cast aside protocol for President Obamas visit on two counts. He went to the airport to receive the US Presidentin 2006 hed also gone to receive then US President George W Bush. BJP leader Arun Jaitley believes that this has set a wrong precedent. Seating Rahul Gandhi at the head table at the PMs private dinner has also caused comment. At the Rashtrapati Bhavan banquet,however,Gandhi was not placed above his protocol entitlement.
Back to square one
Three months ago,director-level officials from the Planning Commission visited all 34 Naxal-affected districts and asked the collectors and deputy commissioners concerned to draw up plans for disbursing Rs 200 crore for infrastructure and irrigation projects so as to better living standards in the Naxal belt. The budget was subsequently increased to Rs 400 crore per district and shortly afterwards doubled yet again to Rs 800 crore. Imagine the let down for the people of the region and the officials concerned,who had spent days scaling up plans because of the increased allocations,when,without any explanation,the Planning Commission headquarters in Delhi slashed the budget from Rs 800 crore to a bare Rs 30 crore.
Pre-emptive threat
There is more to former Chief Minister Ashok Chavans threat not to go to the airport to receive President Obama than his claim that he was insulted because the US consulate officials in Mumbai asked for his personal details to verify his antecedents. It seems the US consulate,after reading daily news reports on the Adarsh Housing scam,was anxious that Obama should not be photographed shaking hands with Chavan. Consulate officials suggested that if indeed Chavan had to greet Obama at the airport,photographers should not be present. However,New Delhi made clear to the consulate that it could not lay down such conditions.
Bullying big brother
THE White House staff,which accompanied President Obama on his trip to India at times behaved not as guests but as if they were the masters of all the ceremonies. The White House press secretary even insisted on taking in eight pool camerapersons into Hyderabad House whereas only five were permitted from the Indian side,the number which had been agreed to earlier by both sides. US correspondents were given access to Rashtrapati Bhavan and Gandhi Samadhi,despite protests from the MEA that only photographers are permitted at such venues. In contrast,last November during Manmohan Singhs visit to Washington,the Indian media party was kept waiting for two hours in the rain outside the White House. Salman Khurshid was designated minister-in-waiting to Obama,but for most of the trip Khurshid was not seen besides the president. No Indian was permitted to sit in the US presidential aircraft or in the heavily armoured Cadillac in which Obama travelled. Even when Obama entered Parliament,his car door was opened by his own staff member,not an Indian.
Raja out,Rani not in
Tainted Communications Minister A Raja has responded to Jayalalithaas campaign that telegrams be sent to Rashtrapati Bhavan calling for his removal,by remarking cheekily that he is happy if more telegrams are sent out since that means more revenue for the telecom department. Despite his bravado,Raja is to be axed. Chief Minister M Karunanidhis daughter Kanimozhi is no longer backing Raja,but she is unlikely to replace him,because of opposition from her step-brother M K Azhagiri.
-
Share
-
-
-
Share
