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The Vidhan Bhavan is increasingly witnessing scenes of bad blood and sharp exchange between legislators. While sarcastic one-liners comments and humorous leg pulling have been traditionally acceptable and even encouraged, the current exchange of barbs between political rivals has taken on a downward spiral. So, when the BJP MLA Gopichand Padalkar questioned Sharad Pawar’s family members following different faiths, not surprisingly, it was followed by NCP(SP) MLA Jitendra Awhad passing nasty remark to Padalkar when the latter was giving bites to news channels. The duo continued their duel right till the parking lot of the Vidhan Bhavan. The discourse turned further downwards when Opposition members turned up in banians and towels to poke fun at Eknath Shinde’s MLA Sanjay Gaikwad turning up in that gear at the MLA hostel in a viral video. In fact, Aaditya Thackeray and Nitesh Rane had a one-to-one duel on the floors of the assembly over the former terming the latter’s party as Chaddi-Banian party. Even the normally genial Aaditya Thackeray did not spare others and called out deputy chairperson of the legislative council Dr Neelam Gorhe for her comment that Mercedes had to be gifted for posts in the Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena. The TV cameras caught Gorhe returning an angry stare. The same evening saw Aaditya’s cousin and fellow legislator Varun Sardesai accusing Gorhe’s bodyguards of pushing him around, again the spat flowing out before full media glare. While the TV cameras positioned outside the Vidhan Bhavan provide much needed oxygen in such reel-worthy and hits-hungry viral times, it’s not surprising to see the political friction play before the media gallery at this monsoon session of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly.
There is a worry in top echelons of the government that a lobby of busy-bodies has emerged in the power echelon in Delhi that eagerly offers to fix appointments with government officials and secure policy solutions for some consideration. The rise of such a busy-body has begun to deter honest bureaucrats from entertaining any requests for interactions with any non-familiar persons. It is being said PM Modi felt it was necessary for the officials to come up with public feedback on government policy decisions for improving delivery. In the absence of any interaction with common citizens and NGOs, officials were also not coming up with fresh ideas. It is in this context that Cabinet Secretary TV Somanathan’s letter to secretaries of the central government asking them to interact with people is interesting and makes sense. He flagged the “perceived reluctance” among several senior central government officials to give appointments to people, saying such interactions can give insights into ground realities, and clarify misunderstandings about “government policies or intentions”. In his letter, Somanathan made it clear that such meetings should be held in offices and not clubs or hotels. He said people from various sections of society have told him that there is a “perceived reluctance” among several secretaries of the central government and other senior officers to give appointments to people other than officials, who may wish to meet with them in connection with the work of their ministries. He said the work of the government is such that it affects or benefits many people and organisations. In some cases, “if you feel it is necessary as a precaution, you could ask another officer to be present.”
The Bombay High Court is not amused with the second ‘closure’ report filed over the sensational June 2020 Disha Salian unnatural death case that lived on like a political potboiler ever since. On July 2, 2025, the closure report in the case was submitted to court bearing the signatures of Malvani police station’s senior police inspector Shailendra Nagarkar (in SIT) and a state public prosecutor, neither of whom bothered to attend the day’s court proceedings. Strong observations followed over their absence particularly since no ‘closure’ report was sought by the court in the first place. The court also considered invocation of contempt proceedings against the officers concerned. A legal source reveals, “A disgraced IPS officer, allegedly responsible for the first closure report filed in the case under then MVA ruled Maharashtra is believed to have actively ensured the second closure report also by the SIT set up during the current litigation through the writ petition filed by Disha’s father seeking a CBI probe into his daughter’s death. The High Court justice questioned why the missing in action officers submitted the closure report in the first place and will take issue with them come July 16.” A well placed political source in Delhi notes, “Then Mumbai police commissioner, Parambir Singh, thoroughly disgraced the city’s police force by acts of omission and commission, was even cited for the so-called Thane model of corruption and yet, only five days back he was acquitted in the extortion and corruption case in Thane. He was also suspended following the ‘Antilla’ case (Ambani residence) when he was Mumbai CP and yet, continues to operate with impunity or tacit political backing.” Reportedly, his son is married to a Nagpur-based politician’s daughter.
Migration of India’s well-placed millionaires has now become a concern area for India. As per Henley Private Wealth Migration Report 2024, 4,300 millionaires will leave India by the end of 2025 indicating nominal slow down. In 2024, 5,100 Indians moved their houses from India opting to work in Dubai, London, Europe, USA, Singapore and others. This year, though there is a ‘wee bit ‘ slowdown of high networth individuals’ (HNIs) migration, what comes out loud and clear from the report is that for these HNIs, India is no longer where their heart is. They think that greater opportunity, freedom, and stability lie elsewhere. The HNIs have chosen Singapore, Middle East, Dubai, London, Europe and America and other countries as their destination of work, leisure and stay. The worrisome part is, there is now an increasing trend to renounce Indian citizenship as well. As of 2023, over 216,000 Indians holding Indian passports have already surrendered their citizenship. Sanjaya Baru, ex-Media Advisor to Dr Manmohan Singh, in his latest book Secession Of The Successful explores why India as a country increasingly becoming nationalist but the elite and successful are quite happy to migrate to other countries, a trend which is now increasing. He says Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) have become Non-Returning Indians. According to him, individuals are leaving India because India has not created an environment to retain the talent. The dichotomy is India’s HNIs chant “Bharat Mata ki Jai” while opting to live and work overseas but not returning to India for good. The challenge for any government is to improve the civic and urban life facilities making it worthwhile for people to come back.
KL Rahul, a true blue of Test match cricket, became the second Indian after Dilip Vengsarkar to make the crowd at the fabled Lords cricket ground in London applaud a three-figure knock a second time; Vengsarkar earned the sobriquet “Lord of the Lord’s” for his three centuries at the celebrated venue in the capital city of England. On the third day of the third Test between England and India, the stoical, but stylish opener scored an exact 100 and he must have felt emotions running high. Lord’s is without a doubt the Mecca of cricket. The famous cricket correspondent of the ‘Yorkshire Post’ James Maurice Kilburn referring to the Lord’s, wrote in ‘Overthrows’: I always feel as though I am stepping into history. Top batters regret not getting the magical number at Lord’s, but 10 Indian batsmen have made together 13 centuries at the Marylebone Cricket Club which is the home ground for the Middlesex County. The first Indian to carve a century at Lords was the great all-rounder, Mulvantrai Himmatlal ‘Vinoo’ Mankad in a Test match known as “Mankad’s Test” because he scored 72 and 184 and took 5 for 196 in the first innings of the 1952 series. After Mankad’s stupendous effort with the bat and ball, Gundappa Viswanath, Vengsarkar, Ravi Shastri, Mohammed Azharuddin, Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid,Ajit Agarkar, Ajinkya Rahane and Rahul have sparkled at the Lord’s. The Honours Board at the venue was embellished with names — 173 batsmen with a total of 252 centuries in all. England’s Joe Root made the count 253 and Rahul 254. Rahul had lorded over Lord’s in August 2021 making 129!
Tractors and Farm Equipment Ltd (TAFE) of the Amalgamations group appears to have used `the naked licensing’ argument to press its claim for the iconic Massey Ferguson brand when it was engaged in legal battle with its over 65-year-old partner AGCO Corporation of the U.S. Of course, both have settled their dispute out of court and TAFE has been confirmed the owner of Massey Ferguson in India and two other countries. The term “naked licensing” in the context of trade mark laws refers to the practice of granting a licensee the right to use a trademark without demonstrating any control or supervision of the trade mark. In this instance, though TAFE has been using the Massey Ferguson brand for over six decades, AGCO had taken virtually no interest or contributed to its development in India. Apparently, this has proved a significant legal roadblock for AGCO to claim the ownership of Massey Ferguson brand in India. Also, TAFE has been strategic in its relationship with AGCO Corporation over the years. Its decision to invest in AGCO (it has over 16% shareholding in the U.S. company) has given TAFE the negotiating edge in effectively sealing its ownership for the Massey Ferguson brand in India. From hindsight, it could be argued that TAFE did well in consistently persuading AGCO Corporation to pare its holding in TAFE gradually from 49% a few years ago to less than 21%. The strategy, assiduously initiated by TAFE over the years, appears to have emerged victorious in the end. If proof is required, the out-of-court settlement is there for all to see.
Pooja Hegde, the almost Miss Universe turns overnight star yet trolled as not lucky for her heroes. She nearly walked away with the Miss Universe Tiara in 2010 but her destiny was in films. Pooja played the heroine in her first Tamil Film Mugamoodi. Now with 17 films, 4 SIIMA Awards, 3 Filmfare nominations and with overwhelming celebration of her beauty there is something lacking in her place as a superstar. Even with Prabhas as lead, ‘Radhe Shyam’ had a lukewarm reception. Despite item numbers Arabhikuthu and Jaalilo Gymkhana sizzling in Beast with Vijay as hero, the film flopped. Salman Khan serenading her in Kisike Bhai Kiseke Jan did nothing to boost the box office for the money backers. Deva and Retro were disappointing, even though the heroes were having a bad spell of filmy luck. But in the world of cinema, if a film fails, the hero does not have to take the whole blame …it is equitably distributed, sometimes passed off as “this heroine’s Rasi is not powerful” superstition. But significantly Pooja’s remuneration kept climbing up simultaneously. Reportedly, she is said to have been paid a whopping Rs 5 crore for ‘Jana Nayakan’ overtaking the remuneration of Kajal Aggarwal and Samantha. With too many films bombing, the buzz spread …Pooja is not a lucky heroine. The trolls only jacked up her demand. Now the draw of her gorgeous persona has gone sky high — 5 million views for a cameo item in Rajinikanth’s Coolie. The number “Monica” is a guaranteed hot number. Pooja overtakes Katrina Kaif and Samantha with her raw appeal. And to shut all trolls, she has signed a new film with Dulquer Salman…yet another validation that trolls and myths cannot stop her rise.
How credit worthy is the Malayalee! Obviously, with banks depending on credit information bureaus like TransUnion CIBIL, Experian, Equifax, and CRIF High Mark, Keralites are just not satisfied with their own creditworthiness. This has seen many flocking to private lending agencies like Muthoot Finance, Muthoot Fincorp, Manappuram Finance etc. These private agencies offer their services at much higher interest rates but with less intensive scrutiny and speedy disposal of applications. Experts here say that lack of creditworthiness is also used as a ruse by banks to dissuade current account holders from moving over to other banks with better offers. Recently, a case surfaced of an individual who applied for a housing loan. The application was rejected for want of the required credit score. On close scrutiny, it was revealed that the applicant had earlier taken a two-wheeler loan which was finally settled. But before closing the loan, the loanee had defaulted once which was settled, including meeting the penalty. This is a clear case of the credit information bureaus not updating its stats on a real-time basis and thus depriving an applicant of a housing loan. In this case who is at fault? This has been just one of the many cases highlighted by the Kerala media in recent times. Perhaps, it was because of such news reports that the senior-most Deputy Governor of the RBI, M Rajeshwar Rao, was prompted to say at a conference organised by CIBIL that “We must aspire to have more frequent updates. Real-time or near real-time credit reporting will improve underwriting precision, enable timely reflection of borrower actions like loan closures or repayments and deliver a superior experience.” Sure, all this will entail additional costs because of investments in technology but the benefits will far outweigh the cost.
Recognised by Cornell University in USA as “a promising Asian student,” Yashasri Gopinath Munde is all set to enter active public life. The youngest of Gopinath Munde, Yashashri has been a director of the Vaidyanath cooperative sugar, a power base of the Munde family. She kept away from politics. But, now, there seems to be a rethink. She has filed nomination for The Vaidyanath Urban Co-Op Bank Ltd election in Beed, signalling her intentions of moving forward in public life. The bank has remained a battleground in Beed’s politics. Hence Yashashri’s entry in the fray is considered an indication of her plans. The district’s politics, however, has remained a fiefdom of the Munde family and Yashashri’s appearance on the horizon will reshape it soon, it is felt. Her two elder sisters, Preetam and Pankaja, are already in politics. While Preetam has been elected to the Lok Sabha twice from their hometown Beed, Pankaja has been representing the assembly constituency and been a cabinet minister in Maharashtra over the years. Their father, Gopinath Munde, was a deputy chief minister in the state and a cabinet minister in the first team of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014. Munde married BJP leader Pramod Mahajan’s sister and the two ruled the state BJP firmly for a couple of decades. Munde’s abrupt death was a setback for the family but did not thwart the political career of his two daughters. This is going to be one more addition to the tradition of family rule in the state, critics say.
An increasing number of Bengali actors are heading to Mumbai, reflecting a growing trend of migration from Tollywood to Bollywood. Over the past few years, noted actors like Saswata Chatterjee, Jisshu Sengupta, and Parambrata Chattopadhyay have featured in several Hindi films and web series. Even big names such as Prosenjit Chatterjee and Jeet have stepped into Bollywood. Meanwhile, many TV stars from Bengal are also seeking roles in Hindi serials, hoping to make it big in Mumbai. Casting directors like Mukesh Chhabra have gained prominence, especially with the rise of social media. Known for discovering Sushant Singh Rajput, Chhabra is considered a star-maker. He recently visited the sets of Raktabeej 2 and reportedly selected Mimi Chakraborty to play Dona Ganguly in the upcoming Sourav Ganguly biopic. He recently conducted a three-hour workshop in Kolkata which was hosted by Pritimoy Chakraborty, who runs the Kolkata studio. This open-to- all workshop generated widespread interest, especially among Tollywood actors like Tota Roychowdhury, Debdut Ghosh, Debleena Dutta, and Dibyajyoti Dutta. The initiative aimed to build confidence among Bengali actors. He noted that many actors face challenges in diction and presentation, which are crucial in Mumbai’s competitive industry. The workshop addressed how to audition, develop mental strength, and present oneself effectively. Debleena Dutta stated that Kolkata’s work opportunities have visibly shrunk with nepotism affecting casting decisions. Debdut Ghosh highlighted that TV serials in Kolkata have dropped from 40–50 to around 20, and films have declined from 70–100 to around 20. Likewise, investment has halved from Rs 1,200 crore earlier.
The BJP has appointed Kolkata-centric and RSS-backed Samik Bhattacharya as the president of its West Bengal unit, marking a strategic departure from its previous leadership patterns. Bhattacharya, known for his clean image and strong ties with party stalwarts including outgoing state president and Union minister Sukanta Majumdar, LoP Suvendu Adhikari, and even sidelined party veteran Dilip Ghosh, is seen as the party’s attempt to build cohesion ahead of the crucial 2026 assembly polls. Political observers suggest this move is also a subtle endorsement of Adhikari as BJP’s projected face against chief minister Mamata Banerjee. With smooth coordination between Bhattacharya and Adhikari—both sharing a cordial rapport—the party aims to enter the electoral battlefield with a unified front. Sources indicate Bhattacharya’s urban, middle-class image could help the BJP strengthen its hold in key regions like Greater Kolkata and Durgapur. His long standing role as BJP spokesperson, with consistent media engagement, has lent him the acceptability required for a high-visibility opposition leader—a trait Suvendu is often criticised for lacking. His rise, however, comes after years of inner-party marginalization, reportedly due to both electoral surprises and internal resistance. Despite winning the 2014 bypoll in Basirhat South and staying loyal through political highs and lows, Bhattacharya was never fully empowered—possibly due to his independent success unsettling the power structure. His elevation comes amidst the BJP’s acknowledgment of the “Kolkata factor.” After successive non-Kolkata-based leaders like Dilip Ghosh and Sukanta Majumdar, the party now bets on the historical trend where successful state leaders like Jyoti Basu, Didi and Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee all had strong urban roots. Now a Rajya Sabha MP, Bhattacharya has sounded the election bugle stating that this election is Bengal’s final chance to stop brain drain and save the identity of Hindu...
From facing throwdowns from farmhands as a kid to making two centuries in two Tests as Team India captain in England is a great journey already for someone who is just 25 years old. His dad Lakhwinder Singh who used to reward the farm boys if they got his son out says now that he saw Gill bat at Edgbaston like in his Under-16 and Under-19 days. Gill himself explained all the facets of his thinking in preparation for England by getting red ball practice during the IPL and getting his mind ready to last hours at the crease in Test cricket. A Test double hundred in England has come only once in 23 years since Gavaskar’s 221 at The Oval in 1979, Rahul Dravid’s 217 at the same ground in 2002 and now Shubman Gill 269 in Birmingham. But the most remarkable thing apart from statistical achievements like the highest ever score by an Indian captain, Shubman Gill’s knock has been rated one of the most flawless innings since CricViz began recording stats on false shot percentages in 2006. In 19 years, not too many innings may have attained the perfection rating above the 95.3% that Gill recorded in his 269 that ended with a pull straight to short square leg. Not even England run-getting legends like Alastair Cook and Joe Root ever attained perfection like this in their gigantic run making in England. “In this series, I tried to go back to my basics. I tried to bat like I used to in my childhood…” He also went on to say that he stopped enjoying his batting because he became so focussed on making runs and lasting long enough to stave off any late order collapse. With this innings, Gill has not just made history but also showed modern batsmen the way to bat in Test cricket.
Despite much excitement and buoyancy among the cadres and the average Marathi manoos about the reunion of the Thackeray brothers — Raj and Uddhav — after two decades, the road ahead seems far from smooth. Though the Thackeray brothers are yet to announce anything concrete, talking more in cryptic clues and hints, how they manage their seats adjustments will determine the future of the political breakthrough. Even if a political reunion does get announced, as is expected at their joint victory rally on July 5, ironing out the creases may not be a smooth affair. For starters, the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) could be uncomfortable with the entry of Raj Thackeray. While the Congress may have warmed up and collaborated with the sober Uddhav Thackeray wing of the Shiv Sena, joining hands with the strident Raj Thackeray of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena could prove a difficult pill to swallow for them. Particularly with Bihar elections on the anvil, enlisting Raj in the opposition coalition MVA could prove difficult. Prithviraj Chavan, the party’s senior leader has already stated that they would deal only with Uddhav vis-a-vis their alliance. Be it about his anti-migrants stance or about loudspeakers in mosques, Raj Thackeray has refused to break bread or make conciliatory notes towards North Indians or the Muslim community. Uddhav’s Sena, on the other hand, has successfully earned sizable political dividends in the last 2024 assembly elections thanks to his outreach towards the Muslim community. Of the 20 seats won by Uddhav, 10 of them were from Mumbai, particularly its Muslim dominated constituencies like Jogeshwari (E), Bandra (E), Versova and Mahim. While visuals of their cadres from Sena and MNS dining together may make for great photo op, the actual give and take of seats particularly in the Marathi-dominated belt, will determine how this plays out on the ground.
Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin has proved his worth and weight on numerous fronts in these past four years. Even though it is easy to pass it off as osmosis by being trained by the political Machiavelli, dad Karunanidhi, he has honed his skills and political instincts by using every trick in the trade. Most significantly, he has been able to stand up to a powerful central government and find his own resolutions to problems. Not that charges of corruption, dynastic polity and Tamil isolationist fervour have not been thrown at him. But he has developed into a powerful leader who projects his state at every chance …and of course showcases himself. So when he showed up in the higher middle class neighbourhood of Chennai’s Alwarpet on July 3 with a clarion call “Oranyil Tamil Nadu” (TN in one formation), people were impressed. All the more when he asked leading questions …do you think the doles of my government should be continued? How is our government, what did you gain? Should we protect our “Mann, Mozhi, Manam” (our land, language, identity) at any cost? The speed brakes on our educational system, unjustified delimitation, our share of the country’s finances …should we protect our rights or blindly accept? His ministerial colleagues and all regional functionaries have been instructed to do this door-to-door feedback/survey for 45 days. Meanwhile, the Opposition parties are still getting their alliance act together. Will it be the hare and tortoise race or the early bird gets the worm case?
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Editor’s Note: Short Post Noticed By People Who Matter
Four years have zipped by and we are crossing another milestone on 31st January 2025 – it’s our 4th Anniversary. It feels good.
Looking back at the 1460 days, I must say Short Post has made its mark with people who matter via 4000 stories published in the areas of politics, business, entertainment and sports. All made possible by the unflinching commitment and dedication of our senior editors, most of whom have been part of this journey from Day One.
Small pack, big impact is in essence the story of Short Post which was launched at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2021. It shows our conviction. In all humility, I can say, we have created a new niche in the news segment space like Hindustan Unilever which created a new segment, when it launched CloseUp Gel.
Yes, we have created a brand (in a limited sense), created demand (readers) and created supply (senior journalists). But we are facing teething problems like all start-ups. What makes us happy and confident is the recognition of our efforts. For instance, we have an arrangement with the OPEN Magazine, part of the $4.5 billion Kolkata-based Sanjiv Goenka-RPG Group. This arrangement sees around 10 Short Post stories posted on OPEN Magazine website every week. This arrangement is testimony that our content has been well received! Also, I may add that the Maharashtra government has recognised Short Post and has allowed our senior editor to cover the Assembly sessions. Ditto: Odisha.
Our goal is to ensure that Short Post becomes a habit. I would like people to keep checking their smartphones to know the latest Authentic Gossip. As regards AI and the fear of it disrupting all businesses including media. On that, personally, I have no such fear as I am confident AI cannot smell news particularly Authentic Gossip. That’s the place we are well entrenched.