Opinion Homing in on the wrong man

More Didigiri

The owner of a leading West Bengal media group,whose newspapers have exposed the state government’s many idiosyncrasies,discovered that the Kolkata police have registered FIRs against him in over half-a-dozen police stations,alleging that his newspaper had stoked communal tensions. The media baron has sought anticipatory bail from the High Court against his arrest. The court has accepted his application.

Gag order

During the forthcoming Parliament session,journalists and camerapersons will not be permitted to cluster around the main portico of Parliament House looking for sound bytes from MPs entering and leaving the building. The Lok Sabha Press and PR chief has issued a stern warning that in future,TV journalists can interview parliamentarians only at two designated spots on the lawns of the Parliament House complex. Newspersons have also been barred from waiting outside parliamentary committee rooms so that they can catch hold of MPs as soon as they leave the meeting. The proceedings of the meetings are meant to be secret and the press has been asked not to harass MPs. Another new guideline is that non-MPs cannot be interviewed in the Parliament House complex without the permission of the Publicity Wing. This rule seems to have been framed in response to the media frenzy when actress Rakhi Sawant entered Parliament some time ago.

Troubles not over

Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi earned a temporary reprieve with the Delhi High Court granting his plea for an injunction against publishing,broadcasting or disseminating the contents of a CD taken in his chamber which he claimed was doctored. The jurist’s former driver has claimed that he was responsible for the distribution of the CD and admitted that he had morphed the CD while in his home district of Darbhanga in Bihar. Nevertheless,the Opposition plans to raise the issue in the post-recess session of Parliament. It wants the matter taken up by the ethics committee on the grounds that there is a questionable reference to the judiciary in the CD. Opposition leader Arun Jaitley believes that Singhvi should step down as head of the parliamentary sub-committee on law,justice and personnel grievances. Meanwhile,overnight carpentry work in Singhvi’s legal chamber in the Delhi High Court has added grist to the rumour mills.

Back in reckoning

With the Election Commission ordering fresh elections to the Jharkhand Rajya Sabha, retiring deputy Opposition leader in the Rajya Sabha,S S Ahluwalia,who feared his Rajya Sabha career was over,saw a ray of hope and grabbed it. Since the election scheduled in May is a fresh poll,Ahluwalia insisted the old promise made by his party to support the JMM candidate no longer held good. He lobbied hard in the BJP and also prayed to the gods. Bhajans are played continuously outside his Gurudwara Rakab Ganj Road bungalow. Lok Sabha Opposition leader Sushma Swaraj pushed hard for his candidature.