Opinion Mind your language

Knotty cricket ties

An assertion from the Home Ministry that cricket ties would soon be resumed between India and Pakistan created a flutter not just in the BCCI,but also in the Ministry of External Affairs. The BCCI politely pointed out that the crowded calendar of our cricketers would make it impossible to find dates for such fixtures. Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao was more emphatic. She tweeted to make clear that no governmental decision had been taken on “resumption of cricket ties.”

Chief troubleshooter

Because of his proximity to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh,Minister for Telecommunication Kapil Sibal has emerged as the government’s chief troubleshooter. Sibal is at the forefront in defending the government over the 2G spectrum scam and is also active questioning the selection of civil society representatives for drafting the Lokpal bill. There are different views within the Congress over the best approach in dealing with activist Anna Hazare and his team. Pranab Mukherjee and Veerappa Moily,for instance,feel it would be a mistake for the government to take a confrontationist line as it would give an impression that the government is not serious about the Lokpal bill,particularly in the view of the ongoing assembly polls. On the other side,Sibal,party general secretary Digvijay Singh and media-in-charge Janardan Dwivedi believe that Hazare is being used by the RSS and other members of civil society for their own ends and must be taken on frontally.

No shortage of funds

The Congress,BJP and AGP in Assam discovered to their amazement that the Trinamool Congress,a minor player in the north-east,bought far more commercial time on TV for the assembly election than any other party. Chandigarh businessman and Rajya Sabha MP from Jharkhand K D Singh is in charge of the north-east for the TMC. Ever since Singh,the owner of the Alchemist group,joined the Trinamool a few months ago,Mamata Banerjee’s party,which once ran its campaigns on a shoestring budget,is flush with funds. West Bengal Minister Gautam Deb claimed that Trinamool candidates in West Bengal were handed out bundles of Rs 15 lakh each against party coupons,to show their campaign funds had come from small contributions. He asserted that only one TC MLA refused the money. While Banerjee has angrily refuted the allegation, financial controversies certainly seem to dog Singh,who despite his recent entry into the party,has become part of the Trinamool’s core group. Singh is accused by the Election Commission of carrying Rs 57 lakh from Delhi to Assam in a suitcase for use in the campaign. The intelligence wing of the Home Ministry in Delhi is also investigating a complaint from the Bombay Stock Exchange alleging that Singh’s company rigged some share prices.

Mum is best policy

The BJP is irked that the recently announced committee to draw up a Lokpal bill does not have any representation from the Opposition. However,the party,after some internal debate,has refrained from going public on the issue. The BJP has decided that any demand on the Lokpal raised at this stage would be counter productive as it would divert attention from the main issue. The BJP is conscious that Hazare’s urban middle class supporters that once constituted its vote bank,have been veering away in recent years. The party’s strategy is to do nothing which seems to detract from the Hazare campaign and allow the government to do the talking. That way the ruling party will have to face the flak if it reacts negatively to Hazare’s key demands.