Opinion Freudian slip

The MEA has started to speak in two voices. On several occasions the Minister S.M. Krishna has spoken on a particular topic,only to find the official spokesperson issue a statement with a different spin a few hours later. This was particularly noticeable last week. Krishna responded to the latest attacks on Indians in Australia in a nuanced fashion but shortly afterwards the MEA adopted a more hard line approach. Similarly in responding to the exclusion of Pakistani players from the IPL,Krishna took the mild position that the Government had nothing to do with the IPL. But the MEA came out with a much stronger line,asking Pakistan to introspect. It seems that Krishna is trying to assert himself and the MEA secretariat is trying to make it clear that it decides policy.

No sympathy for juniors

Ministers of State,who had banked on the PM’s support in their battle against their seniors were taken aback to find the PM unsympathetic. Singh,who had called a meeting with the junior ministers after receiving several letters of complaint,suggested that instead of writing letters and airing their grievances publicly,the juniors should utilise their time propagating the policies and programmes of the government. MoS for Commerce Jyotiraditya Scindia was indiscreet enough to make his unhappiness against his senior Anand Sharma evident. But Sharma is now keen to rebut Scindia’s charge,pointing out that he was entrusted with the same portfolios held by his two predecessors in the ministry. A more pragmatic Sachin Pilot did not open his mouth against his senior,the controversial Minister for Communication,A Raja. In contrast to the prevailing mood,the DMK’s S.S. Palanimanickam was effusive in praise of his minister,Pranab Mukherjee,whom he called a father figure. Mukherjee was so supportive that when he could not attend a group of senior ministers (GoM) on the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act last week,he wrote a letter to the PM stating he would like to break convention and allow his junior to represent him.

Succession war

The bad blood between Army Chief General Deepak Kapoor and his successor Lt General V K Singh is out in the open after the army land scam in West Bengal. Singh,at present head of the Eastern Command,had recommended punitive action against the concerned generals on the basis of a court of inquiry he had ordered. Singh has targeted the Army Headquarters military secretary,Lt Gen Avadesh Prakash,who had earlier crossed swords with him over a discrepancy in his birth date. Caught in this heavyweight crossfire is Lt General P.K. Rath,former 33 corps Commander,who signed the letter of intent for setting up a school,which was cancelled within 15 days at Singh’s order. In this vitiated atmosphere,there are sceptical interpretations to the recent news that General Kapoor has developed a hearing problem. Will Defence Minister A.K. Antony remain a silent spectator to these unseemly developments?

Unscheduled farewell

M.K. Narayanan’s pique at being eased out of the NSA’s job is evident. Even before his successor was announced,he insisted he had to move to West Bengal as governor since he wanted to hoist the flag on Republic Day. Significantly,Narayanan gave his last major interview to a foreign newspaper,The Times,and pointedly said that he suspected the Chinese of cyber attacks on the computers in the PMO,including his own. The NSA had invited a number of people,including his successor Shivshankar Menon,for a lunch in the new year,not realising at the time he extended the invitation that it would end up being a farewell party.