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Ahead of PM Narendra Modi’s meeting with the U.S. President Donald Trump next week, both the Houses of Parliament erupted in protest over the manner in which 104 illegal Indian immigrants from the U.S. landed in Amritsar in a U.S. military aircraft– shackled and restrained. External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar sought to downplay the issue and said that such expulsions were routine. “It has been there for years. Hundreds of Indians have been deported annually, with figures ranging from 530 in 2012 to over 2,042 in 2019,” Jaishankar informed the Rajya Sabha. He pointed out that handcuffs were used on deportees since 2012. Asserting that it was “the obligation of all countries to take back their nationals if they are found to be living illegally abroad”, he said efforts were being made to talk to deportees to track agents who sent them. The Opposition felt the government must stand up to the Trump Administration just as Columbia had done. “Why can we not fly back our citizens just as Columbia had done?” asked CPI(M) MP John Brittas. Colombia balked at the U.S. military flights and sent its own Air Force jet to pick up 110 deported Colombians. U.S. deportation flights are not new but the use of military flights is new, with the agency previously using commercial and chartered flights to deport people. Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said while the U.S. may have a legal right to deport people who are illegally in their country, “but the manner in which it was done, in handcuffs, squeezed into a military aircraft, in such an abrupt manner, is not acceptable.” He pointed out how under the Biden administration last year, 1100 Indians were deported but there was no such humiliation.
In his reply to the Motion of Thanks to the President’s address in the Lok Sabha, PM Narendra Modi was at his aggressive best as he savaged LoP Rahul Gandhi. From mocking the Congress leader and two members of his family for becoming MPs — mother Sonia and sister Priyanka — at the same time to turning “certain spaces into personal museums”. He was referring to the manner in which the Gandhi family maintains control over Indira Gandhi Memorial and had refused to share documents pertaining to the Rajiv Gandhi era with the Prime Ministers’ Museum. The PM said we have established the Prime Ministers’ Museum, where the legacy of every Prime Minister—from the first to my predecessors—has been honoured. “I urge their family members to visit it.” Taking a swipe at the three Gandhis who are all MPs, Modi said, “I pose an important question to the citizens through this House — have there even been three MPs simultaneously from the same family of SC community? I also ask, tell me if there ever were three MPs simultaneously from the same family belonging to the ST community…” There is a vast difference between their words and actions. However, the harshest jab was when Modi felt leaders have compulsions to raise questions on foreign policy to be taken seriously — he was referring to questions raised by both Rahul and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on tensions with China. He asked them to read Bruce Riedel’s book JFK’s Forgotten Crisis— as it details discussions between India’s Nehru and the U.S. President John F Kennedy, revealing how foreign policy was handled during challenging times and the games played in its name. Congress leaders are apparently not amused by this suggestion.
Congress bossman Rahul Gandhi told Parliament that External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar’s USA visit only sought an invite for PM Narendra Modi for the U.S. President Donald Trump’s oath ceremony. Jaishankar refuted RaGa’s averments, without revealing the true purpose after having accomplished never before witnessed outcomes. Highly placed sources reveal, “India’s MEA secured distinction of only nation’s representative holding bilateral discussions with the newly installed U.S. government both, before and after, official transition of power.” Dr Jaishankar didn’t elucidate beyond dismissing Gandhi’s tall tales to the Lok Sabha, but actually established grounds for PM Modi to ink U.S. deal for technology transfer regarding fifth/sixth generation fighter engines deliberately kept in abeyance over two years by erstwhile Biden administration. India will be on par though F35 fighter was doled out to Pakistan and, even poised to counter Chinese aviation capabilities with next generation fighters. Dr Jaishankar also held discussions with newly installed FBI director Kash Patel, National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard over sensitive issues regarding Indian nationals targeted by earlier dispensation. Another positive outcome: Funding cut off for Gurpatwant Singh Panun, separatist pro-Khalistani rebel, creating aviation scares in India through threats of blowing up Indian commercial airliners. More covert results were achieved to become apparent sooner than later even as Rahul Gandhi termed Dr Jaishankar’s international statesmanship as mere kow-towing to U.S. hegemony.
Ever since mid-January when Bihar CM Nitish Kumar was accompanied by his son Nishant Kumar at a political function in Bakhtiyarpur, there has been a buzz that the JD(U)leader’s son would be taking a political plunge. The event was to pay tributes to freedom fighters, including Nitish’s father Ram Lakhan Singh, who too had participated in the freedom movement. Soon after the function, 50-year old Nishant, the only child of Nitish and his late wife Manju Sinha, told the local gathering that his father had put Bihar on the fast track of development and appealed to them to make him CM again. Nishant’s appeal came in the midst of reports that he was keeping indifferent health and had reduced public interaction. An engineer by training, Nishant had so far kept away from public glare. Raised by his mother, he is known to have spent time away from his father and dabbled in spiritualism. He came to live with his father only after his mother passed away in 2007. Those who have known the JD (U) supremo personally as well as politically feel with an indifferent health Nitish may no longer be in a position to even oppose entry of his son into politics much as he has always opposed dynastic politics. A section of JD(U) dominated by Kurmis is reportedly rooting for Nishant’s entry to perpetuate Nitish Kumar’s legacy; this section doesn’t care if it fits with Nitish Kumar’s vision of politics. It is being argued that JD(U) can’t survive without Nitish’s legacy. As for those competing against the towering stature of Nitish Kumar in Bihar — both the BJP and RJD — are also keen that a bumbling newbie and dynast Nishant does take the plunge and salvage JD(U). Ahead of assembly polls, JD(U) is likely to witness a churn.
What goes out seems to return to the same place. Well, how else could one view the unfolding scenario. Reports suggest that Aditya Birla Group-owned UltraTech Cement is in advanced talks to acquire Heidelberg Cement India. Heidelberg Cement India is the subsidiary of HeidelbergCement Group, Germany. It entered India in 2006 with the acquisition of erstwhile Mysore Cement, Cochin Cement and a JV with Indorama Cement. The company has plants at Damoh (MP), Jhansi (UP), and Ammasandra (Karnataka). If this acquisition happens, UltraTech may get Zuari Cements as well, which is a part of the Heidelberg Group. In such an eventuality, the Sitapuram plant of Zuari will also come under UltraTech. The Sitapuram plant was once with The India Cements (ICL). The India Cements got the Sitapuram plant as a bonus when it acquired Raasi Cement many years ago. Subsequently, India Cements sold the Sitapuram plant to Zuari to raise funds. The Parli grinding unit of India Cements, it may be recalled, was acquired by UltraTech. Since UltraTech has taken over India Cements, the Parli grinding unit has technically returned to its original place (since India Cements has now become a subsidiary of UltraTech). Well, the world is small after all. And, the world is indeed round!
An estimated 30% of the IAS administered Indian bureaucracy actively considers the VRS option. According to well-placed sources, “Last three years registered a spurt in the number of pending applications to exercise the VRS option, most officers still having over five years of service left. The handsome pension amount appears lucrative to many, including those put on notice by the Union government (and respective state governments like Maharashtra) for low productivity, efficiency and delinquent public service.” Majority of the pending applications seek the cushy handshake option, while those who fell foul of GOI evaluation parameters were told to consider exit plans sooner than resignation options later. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 1.0 and 2.0 tenures (between 2014 and 2024) had witnessed not only weeding out of senior officials through shortening of tenures under government service but also witnessed the lateral entry of professionals and industry domain specialists into government service. Similarly, several officials continue to perform government service notwithstanding their respective retirement from service due to their diligent and outstanding performance till retirement to include Pravin Pardeshi (CEO of MITRA). Others like former Chief Secretary of Maharashtra Dr Nitin Kareer are also expected to be tapped for active post-retirement service to the nation, sources reveal. As pen-pushing, non-productive Babus opt for early retirement the Maharashtra IAS fraternity anticipates similar cleansing of Maharashtra’s state secretariat that may be on the cards once again.
After all the hype over the low-cost DeepSeek artificial intelligence from China that seemed to be threatening the earlier model, doubts have begun to surface, at least in India, about its ability to continue posing a challenge to ChatGPT in the long term. The new app, which became the most-downloaded free app on the iOS App Store in the U.S. a fortnight after its launch on 10 January 2025, resulted in a steep fall in the share price of the more established Nvidia. While various users and reviewers have hailed it as a harbinger of the “global AI space race”, experts here are raising the old question of the longevity and reliability of anything made in China, especially when it is priced at a fraction of others in the same space. Says one leading infotech player, expressing the opinion of many in the field: “Like any data from China, nobody knows the real cost — it may be a whole lot higher than those incurred by Open AI.” Drawing a parallel with renewable energy, this expert points to a record 11 Gw of wind turbines commissioned years ago with turbines in almost all remote areas but no connection to the grid. “Renowned global consultants based in China whom I have met, always take any data from the Chinese government or otherwise from China with a pound of salt,” he adds. “It is perhaps disruptive news to pull the U.S. down. Let’s wait and see.” The Chinese company, established in Hangzhou, Zhejiang in 2023, is owned and funded by Chinese hedge fund High-Flyer, which develops open-source large language models (LLMs).
In recent times, Bollywood has seen a noticeable shift, with many newcomers struggling to leave a lasting impression on audiences. This decline can be traced back to a variety of factors, including the selection of projects that fail to resonate with viewers. Gone are the days when iconic films like Betaab, which introduced Sunny Deol or Rocky which launched Sanjay Dutt, captivated audiences and launched the careers of these stars. So too Jackie Shroff with Hero. In contrast, today’s newcomers like Suraj Pancholi, Siddhant Kapoor and Sasha Agha find themselves lost in films that do not provide them with the platform to showcase their talents effectively. The recent film Azaad featuring Aaman Devgan and Rasha Thadani serves as a case in point. Aaman Devgn, nephew of Ajay Devgn has struggled to make a significant impact, while Raveena Tandon’s daughter Rasha Thadani managed to capture some attention with her performance. Many of the films do not offer the newcomers a fair opportunity to shine; often focusing more on star power than on storytelling. For instance, in Azaad, the narrative centres around the titular horse rather than the lead pair, which diminishes the impact of the human characters. This misalignment can lead to a lack of engagement from the audience, making it difficult for the actors to connect with viewers. Aaman’s performance, despite being camera-friendly, lacks the emotional depth and histrionics that are often necessary to truly engage the audience. In contrast, Rasha stands out with her strong screen presence and impressive dance moves, showcasing a talent that could potentially elevate her career. Ultimately, even when a film does not resonate with audiences, a standout performance can create opportunities for newcomers to prove themselves.
The England captain Jos Buttler did not mince words on the matter of fast bowler Harshit Rana replacing Shivam Dube as the like-for-like “concussion substitute” in the fourth Twenty20 international in Pune. The scoreboard will show left-hander Dube having scored 53 off 34 balls with 7x 4s and 2x6s – a fine performance that went a long way in India posting a stiff 181 in 20 overs after being rocked by Saqib Mahmood’s three-wicket burst in his first over. It was Dube’s first international match in eight months. Rana, who replaced Dube after India chose to use the “Concussion substitute” rule at the innings break, ended up with flattering figures of 3 for 33, sending down his full quota of four overs. Rana took the wickets of Liam Livingstone, Jacob Bethell and Jamie Overton – all capable of giving the ball a solid whack. A pertinent question that cropped up was whether “Rana was a like-for-like’’ replacement for Dube, particularly as a fast bowler. In his previous 33 matches, Dube had sent down 45.3 overs and taken 11 wickets with a 3 for 30 as his best against Bangladesh in Nagpur in 2019. He did not bowl in 11 matches and went wicket-less in 15. Buttler disagreed with “Rana coming in for Dube” and wondered if Dube’s bowling speed had shot up by 25 miles per hour or if Rana’s batting had improved. On the face of it, Rana was a far from like-for-like replacement for Dube. India’s bowling coach, Morne Morkel, explained that the team forwarded Rana’s name and the match referee, Javagal Srinath approved it. The unsavoury event will compel the ICC to mull over the “Concussion substitute” rule.
Armed with a landslide majority in Maharashtra, the BJP, it is learnt, is now strongly pushing its coalition partners up against the wall. Not only has it launched a strong attack against Ajit Pawar’ party deputy leader Dhananjay Munde but it is keeping Eknath Shinde on the edge too. While the knives have been sharpened against controversial minister Dhananjay Munde demanding his resignation for the alleged involvement of his aide in the murder of Beed sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh. Munde and his party have been resisting and fighting it against all odds. While Ajit Pawar may have strongly backed Munde for now, he realises that the BJP may not stop at him and could launch fresh salvo against his other deputies. Hence, Pawar has directed his men to maintain a clean slate and even demanded that freshers be vetted before giving entry in his party. His contemporary, Eknath Shinde too is not having it easy with BJP ministers like Ganesh Naik eyeing his Thane stronghold and launching a worker engagement campaign clearly with an eye on the forthcoming local body polls. While Shinde chose to brush aside concerns, his workers have threatened to do a quid pro quo by launching similar exercises in BJP’s constituencies. Shinde did not attend the cabinet meeting last week, while Munde is believed to have left mid-way. The BJP strategy seems to be to keep the coalition partners constantly on the edge.
It’s an over hundred year old bank. A solid old generation private bank, Tamilnad Mercantile Bank (TMB) became a listed entity when it entered the capital market a few months ago. TMB is a heady cocktail of an organisation. Promoted by the Nadars for the Nadars, this bank has been mired in controversy ever since the Ruias of the Essar group acquired over 65% shares by cashing in on the internecine quarrel between the promoter groups. But the Ruais had to depart by selling the investment arms that held TMB shares to Sterling C Sivasankaran for acquiring cellular licence for Delhi circle from the latter. But Siva too found the going tough and had to sell TMB shares. While the Nadar community bought back a part of it, it couldn’t muster money to buy the rest. Former chairman of the bank MGM Maran and other directors got into the act and allegedly facilitated a deal for the sale of 23.6% shares of TMB from Indian shareholders to unauthorised overseas persons. An investigation followed into advance remittances by certain entities for buying TMB shares through an escrow account with Standard Chartered Bank. SCB and Maran were levied hefty penalties. The Enforcement Directorate now has attached the properties of Maran – including his shares in group firms and TMB –and his company Southern Agrifurane. Well, the TMB issue never ceases to go away, it appears.
In this ‘woke’ age, not even the most iconic of men are above being taken apart. Cancel culture, quite the phenomenon of the year, caught up with Sir Donald Bradman too with social media pundits denouncing him as a RWNJ (Right Wing Nut Job) after a letter he had written to Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser in 1975 emerged and was dissected by new age warriors. The cricketer whose deeds at the batting crease helped pull Australia through the Great Depression, has plenty of defenders in leading public figures too as opposed to those wishing to take down his reputation. The backlash, during which he was also described as a “bigoted right-wing politician”, was condemned as “disgraceful” even as fears were expressed that Twitterati iconoclasts might start demanding that Bradman’s statues, of which there are many in Australia, be taken down. The public are being reminded now of how Bradman, as chief administrator of Australian cricket after retirement, changed his stand after hearing out protesters and then opposed cricket ties going on as normal against the Apartheid-era South African teams. Bradman may have been right wing and had players who didn’t see eye to eye with him in his own team like Bill O’Reilly and Jack Fingleton, but overall he was a batsman par excellence and an icon too far to be cancelled now
Even as Himachal CM Sukhwinder Sukhu is back in Shimla after a brief Covid infection, it still seems the state will still not get a full-fledged Cabinet until the New Year. No this has nothing to do with the Gandhis being preoccupied or Sukhu still remaining undecided about who to include in his team. It is only that Governor Rajendra Arlekar is going to be away for the year end at his home in Goa; he will apparently be back only in the first week of January. It is only after that CM Sukhu plans to hold a brief session of Vidhan Sabha when newly elected members will take oath. Thereafter, his hand-picked team could be sworn into office. This effectively means, Sukhu’s full-fledged team could come into being after the auspicious Makkar Sankranti! Congress sources however deny the CM was waiting all this while for a good date. He did have issues about inducting some MLAs loyal to late CM Virbhadra Singh. He found it difficult to include Virbhadra’s son Vikramditya Singh, Shimla (Rural) MLA in his team. After all, his father had never found it fit to include Sukhu in his ministry. It apparently took some convincing by AICC managers to sort out Sukhu’s problem with the Virbhadra group.
Maharashtra legislature expectedly adopted a unanimous resolution on Tuesday to endorse afresh the state’s position that the disputed 865 towns and villages with a majority Marathi-speaking population in Karnataka belong to the state. However, unlike in Karnataka, political fissures surfaced at Nagpur later. Opposition members became agitated when chief minister Eknath Shinde said that the border dispute with the neighbour existed even when both states were under the Congress party rule. They charged that Shinde was trying to politicise the issue. On the other hand, Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray’s demand that the disputed areas should be made a Union Territory was deflated by opposition leader Ajit Pawar, who warned that similar demands could arise about the Maharashtra areas like Jath claimed by Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai. Moreover, as the matter was before the Supreme Court, the feasibility of fulfilling the demand would have to be examined accordingly, he said. Pawar also did not attach any importance to Sena (Uddhav) MP Sanjay Raut’s threat that he would make several ‘explosions’ soon, indirectly warning the Shinde-Fadnavis government. Pawar said, “Better ask those who made such statements. I have not said any such thing.” The unanimous resolution says that Marathi-speaking people in the disputed areas have been subjected to atrocities by the Karnataka government. It has reaffirmed Maharashtra’s resolve to fight the case before the Supreme Court by appointing best legal minds.
State-owned Nandan movie theatre continues to be the most coveted halls for film release in Kolkata. Amid growing political heat in West Bengal due to upcoming panchayat polls, the Opposition has blamed the ruling Mamata Government for not giving permission to screen the Bengali film Prajapoti starring Dev and Mithun Chakraborty at Nandan theatre. Though Dev is Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP, Mithun switched from TMC to BJP. Significantly, Dev is the producer of the movie which was released on December 23, along with two other Bengali films — Hatyapuri and Haami 2. And both got permission to screen at Nandan. Interestingly Dev’s official Facebook page read “Will Miss You Nandan this time. No Issue. Will meet again… End of Story.” The post had a caption saying “Only Legends can understand this.” The producers said that they were the first to submit the application for screening while TMC says that application for screening of the film came late. BJP National Vice President Dilip Ghosh took a jibe stating Dev was also forced to contest the election; he wasn’t willing to do the same and in Bengal, if one doesn’t support the TMC, the prestigious Nandan remains out of reach. But, the murmur is loud and clear, was this move of the ruling government a clear message to Ghatal MP that Mithun dada remains an opponent even in art.
What is the common consequence of Covid-19 and the Ukraine war? To be sure, they have redefined the international trade dynamics. The much celebrated policy of globalisation has started yielding ground to the protectionist policies of former times. Is it good? Is it setting the clock back? Well, a clear answer is difficult to fathom at the moment. One thing, however, is sure. Things are seemingly heading this way. How else could one view this? Well, the Federation of Tamil Sangams of North America (FeTNA) is launching the FeTNA International Tamil Entrepreneurs Network (FiTEN)! FeTNA is a not-for-profit organisation founded in 1988. In association with Tamil Nadu Start-up and Innovation Mission (StartupTN), FiTEN is organising the first Global Tamil Start-up Investors’ Summit in Chennai. It is ostensibly intended to benefit and promote start-ups and global Tamil investors. The one-day summit will be held on January 9 at The Leela Palace in Chennai. The objective of holding this summit by FiTEN is to share knowledge, debate the latest trends and bring together the global Tamil entrepreneur ecosystem. Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, M K Stalin, will be the chief guest. While the proposed summit is hailed by some, still others feel uncomfortable about it. Reason: regional chauvinism/parochialism is not healthy. It may be recalled that Saraswat Brahmin entrepreneurs from across the globe had organised a conclave in Goa in September 2022.
After all, the TATA IPL player auction at Kochi turned out to be a far cry from a Mickey Mouse event! The so-called mini auction — the franchises had retained the core players — had all the ingredients to make the bidding of a few celebrity players electrifying. From the time Harry Brook — five innings, 56 runs, average 11.20 at the recent ICC World Twenty20 in Australia — was bought by Kavya Maran’s Sunrisers Hyderabad for Rs 13.25 crore, it was more or less a given that the real world cup winners in Jos Buttler’s England team would win a lottery. The Sunrisers were led by Brook’s numbers against Pakistan in Twenty20 and in the recent Test series in Pakistan (6 innings, 468 runs, 3 x 100s) and went after him. Then Sam Curran’s happy red-carpet home coming to Punjab Kings cost Ness Wadia Rs 18.50 crore. Chennai Super Kings in search of an all-rounder, motivator and leader got Ben Stokes for Rs 16.25 crore. The Ambanis armed Mumbai Indians with Australian Cameroon Green paying Rs 17.50 crore. The England players were bought for Rs 56.4 crore, a big chunk of Rs 167 crore spent. England’s World Twenty20 win in Australia, after thrashing India in the semi-finals, has indeed tickled the fancy of the franchises upon the Currans, Stokes and Brooks. And Joe Root for Rs 1 crore!
Rahul Gandhi’s visit to Atal Behari Vajpayee’s Samadhi stirred the social media more for what he was wearing in Delhi’s biting cold than he sought to convey. Rahul was spotted in his trademark Bharat Jodo Yatra T-shirt at various VVIP samadhis. He offered his tributes at Sadaiv Atal, Mahatma Gandhi’s memorial at Rajghat and also at memorials for Jawaharlal Nehru, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi. The BJP dismissed Rahul’s trip to former PMs’ samadhis as “part of a makeover exercise,” for the nth time that was meant strictly “for the shutterbugs and chattering elites”. The party wondered if Rahul Gandhi was sincere,” he would have visited former PM, P V Narasimha Rao’s samadhi in Hyderabad too. “He didn’t, even though it was on his way…” pointed out Amit Malviya in a tweet. On the other hand, Congress media chief Jairam Ramesh said Rahul’s visit to Vajapayee’s samadhi was an acknowledgment of the first BJP PM’s contribution to the nation. He said “Rahulji’s visit to the samadhi would have reminded PM Modi about the rajdharma lessons that Atalji had sought to give him in 2002. Rahulji today showed how politics is done with a big heart. This is what he has achieved by visiting samadhi.” This is a bit rich for the Congress as a day earlier a party coordinator Gaurav Pandhi had dubbed Atalji as a British stooge.
Former chief minister and Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray has demanded that the Centre should declare the disputed Marathi-speaking areas in Karnataka as a Union Territory. In his first major speech in the Maharashtra legislative council, Uddhav attacked his successor and former disciple, Eknath Shinde harshly. The Maharashtra legislature was to adopt a unanimous resolution on Monday (Dec 26) to buttress the state’s stand in regard to the border dispute with Karnataka. However, it was still being drafted, deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis said. However, opposition leaders did not spare Shinde for his absence. They wondered how he could attend a function in Delhi rather than remaining in the house. Ridiculing him, Uddhav said it was intriguing that Shinde had not said a word about this dispute. “Nobody knows when he will be back. He can even reverse his flight and return to Delhi if a summons is received. Shinde is in Delhi though this serious issue is staring him in the eye,” Uddhav commented. Sena (Uddhav) MP Sanjay Raut had threatened a couple of days ago to make major exposes against the Shinde-Fadnavis government. When quizzed, Uddhav said his side had ‘several bombs with their fuses removed. They are just to be ignited.’ Uddhav announced that he would show an old film, ‘Case for Justice’ prepared by the state government to establish that Marathi was being spoken in those areas for centuries.
With elections to the coveted Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) round the corner, the media management has assumed critical proportions. On December 19, administrator Iqbal Singh Chahal issued an official diktat barring officials below the rank of additional municipal commissioners, from speaking to the media. However the diktat was withdrawn within a day reportedly with damage control ordered from none other than the chief minister’s office. The third day saw another fresh order, this time department heads could speak to the media but only with the permission of their superiors. All this is meant to ensure positive media coverage, retain its good image and nip fake news, the order explains. The ruling dispensation clearly wants the works of the BMC, especially its pet projects, to be highlighted in the media in the run-up to the elections. A media clampdown means less scope for tom-tomming civic works as soft political campaigning – a major handicap. Flip flops in decision making have come to become a hallmark of the BMC’s functioning ever since the formation of the new government led by Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis. Similarly, transfers of officials have also been withdrawn or changed, within 24 hours at times. “Fault lines within the new government have led to abrupt U-turns, creating chaos and confusion. The administrator’s failure to stand firm for the interest of the city and succumbing to random pressures, has become a bane of our city,” observes Ravi Raja, Congress’ ex- opposition leader in BMC.
Stars and singers from the Bengali film industry who have won the last Lok Sabha and State Assembly elections, across parties, have to come to terms that they are just symbolic leaders; don’t have much say as their constituencies are controlled by seasoned politicians. This seems more predominant in Trinamool Congress (TMC). Tollywood’s popular star ‘Dev’ Deepak Adhikari’s constituency is under the control of Midnapore strongman Manas Bhunia. Actress Mimi Chakraborty’s Jadavpur constituency is overseen by Didi’s close aide and cabinet minister Aroop Biswas. Nusrat Jahan’s constituency Basirhat is under several North 24 Parganas leaders taking all political decisions. Yesteryear’s noted actress Satabdi Roy, three-time MP from Birbhum, has no say. Her constituency is nursed by strongman Anubrata Mondal. Similarly, MLAs like renowned yesteryear actor Chiranjeet Chakraborty, TV star Arundhati Moitra and folk singer Aditi Munshi are voiceless with all decision making under the control of Barasat MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, Rajya Sabha MP Subhashis Chakraborty and senior cabinet minister Sujit Bose respectively for the constituencies of Barasat, Sonarpur Dakshin and Rajarhat-Gopalpur. Noted singer, former BJP minister Babul Supriyo who switched to TMC camp is facing a similar predicament. Both Hooghly BJP MP Locket Chatterjee, and Asanaol South BJP MLA Agnimitra Paul, both general secretaries are not treated in the same manner. Paul gets more importance as he is part of Suvendu Adhikari’s camp, while Chatterjee feels shortchanged as she is part of Dilip Ghosh camp.
Maharashtra legislature is expected to adopt a unanimous resolution on December 26 to reiterate the state’s claim over the Marathi-speaking areas now in Karnataka. Opposition leader Ajit Pawar has already hinted that his side will support such a gesture. The Karnataka assembly has passed its unanimous resolution to reject Maharashtra’s claims and stuck to its stand that what has happened many decades ago can’t be reversed. Maharashtra has approached the Supreme Court to stake its right over the disputed areas along the two-state border. The matter has been sub-judice for 18 years. State’s minister Shambhuraj Desai told the media that the resolution to be tabled in the assembly on December 26 will be much stronger than what has been passed by Karnataka assembly. He reiterated the state’s stand that the dispute should be resolved at the earliest and none in either state should face any violence. He alleged that Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai’s behaviour was contrary to what had been decided at a meeting convened by the Union home minister Amit Shah earlier this month. This disapproval will be conveyed to the Centre, Desai said. Desai and education minister Chandrakant Patil are members of a coordination committee which has been formed to handle the matter. Both were to visit Karnataka to meet Marathi-speaking people in Belagavi in mid-December but cancelled the tour following Bommai’s request.
The City of London and the UK has lured all. The King of Puri is no exception. Dibyasingha Deb, known as Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb IV, will be travelling to the UK in May 2023. He is the current titular Gajapati Maharaja and Chairman of the Shree Jagannatha Temple, Odisha and the current Adhyasevaka (known as the first and foremost servitor) of Lord Jagannatha and according to customs also considered to be the living reflection of the Lord. Huge preparations are on to welcome the King of Puri to the UK. The King, the current head of the house of Bhoj Dynasty, will be accompanied by his wife Maharani Leelavati Patamahadei. The 70-year old King’s travel in the UK is organised by the Shree Jagannatha Society of UK. Reportedly, Odia’s population in the UK is over 5000. “Pleased with support and growth here the King of Puri is on a mission to spread the Jagannath Sanskruti in the UK and across the globe,” admits Siba Ranjan Biswal, one of the leaders of the Odia community in the UK. The King’s itinerary includes visits to the Jagannatha Temples in London, Manchester, Edinburgh and Bath. The King is expected to visit the City of Greater Manchester which has hosted the 43rd Annual Convention of the Odia community in August 2022.
Independent MLA Ravi Rana has been receiving death threats on his mobile phone, according to a complaint lodged by his personal assistant with Amaravati police. Rana had made serious allegations against former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray in the legislative assembly on Friday (Dec 23). He had said that Uddhav had tried to divert the focus of the investigation of a murder case. Complainant Vinod Guhe said that the threat calls have been received on Rana’s mobile phone. “If you utter a word against Uddhav Thackeray, you will be killed with a revolver and knife,” the caller has threatened the MLA, according to Guhe. At present, Rana is in Nagpur though the threat calls were received even earlier in Amaravati, Guhe has informed the police. The complaint has been filed as a precautionary measure. Rana’s wife Navneet, independent MP from Amaravati, had complained to Delhi police in May this year that she had been threatened by a caller that she would be killed if she entered Maharashtra. Ravi and Navneet Rana had announced their plans to recite Hanuman Chalisa outside Uddhav’s Bandra residence ‘Matoshri’ in April. They were arrested by Mumbai police on various charges. Soon thereafter, Rana’s Mumbai residence had received legal notices from the BMC. Ever since, tension between the two antagonists has been palpable, surfacing time and again.
They say he is a character. Would that mean anything he does is to be seen as a joke and the villain forgiven? Emiliano Marinez, the Argentine goalkeeper who saved a penalty and distracted another French shot taker into kicking it wide, is busy stirring up things back home after the World Cup win. He has incensed France by mocking Kylian Mbappe repeatedly. He asked for a minute’s silence in honour of Mbappe in the dressing room soon after Argentina won the cup – “A minute’s silence for Kylian Mbappe, who is dead” he said. Worse, he took a doll with a photograph of the French striker stuck on its face. At one point, he was filmed rubbing the doll on his genitalia as Argentina players took their open top bus ride in Buenos Aires. He had made the same gesture when he rubbed the golden Glove trophy after the final and seems to have gotten away with it. There hasn’t been a pip out of FIFA on this flagrant obscene act that was carried live to a couple of billion people. Incidentally, he is mocking a player who scored a hat-trick in the final and slotted the first goal in the penalty shootout. His tactics as goalkeeper in the shootout should also be analysed but FIFA, drunk with the success of the World Cup, is keeping mum.
As Bharat Jodo Yatra winds its way into Delhi on Christmas eve, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was apparently quite keen to showcase the yatra as an event of Opposition unity. Maybe he was a bit too late. With Opposition leaders from South like DMK Lok Sabha MP Kanimozhi — she joined the yatra outside Delhi — and newbie Makkal Needhi Maiam leader Kamal Haasan joining the yatra, Rahul wrote to TMC Lok Sabha leader Sudip Bandyopadhyay, wanting to know if TMC MPs could join the yatra. The Trinamool leader spurned the offer and promptly shot off a reply saying TMC MPs would be busy in “their constituencies “. Clearly, this was a message from the TMC that it was going to maintain an equidistance in Opposition politics in the run-up to 2024 polls. After all, TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee had a series of meetings with PM Narendra Modi to get Centre’s funds released for various state schemes. Only last week, Mamata had a one on one meeting with Amit Shah in Kolkata on the sidelines of the Eastern Zonal Council meeting. Besides, PM will be in Kolkata on December 30 to chair the National Ganga Council meeting. He will also be launching the Vande Bharat Express that will run between Howrah and New Jalpaiguri in North Bengal.
After serious allegations were levelled against Aaditya Thackeray in Maharashtra legislative assembly on Thursday (Dec 22), it was the turn of his father and former chief minister Uddhav to be the target of grave charges in the house on Friday. Independent MLA Ravi Rana demanded a special investigation team (SIT) probe against Uddhav by alleging that the former CM had ordered Amaravati police officials to investigate local businessman Umesh Kolhe’s murder earlier this year as a case of robbery. Rana said that Kolhe was killed for supporting Nupur Sharma, the BJP’s ousted spokesperson for her certain remarks. The killers had now been booked by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for murder. Minister Shambhuraj Desai said that due to the gravity of the matter, details will be sought from the state intelligence agency and placed before chief minister Eknath Shinde for a final decision. Ravi Rana and his wife, independent MP Navneet Rana, have been at loggerheads with Uddhav for a long time. Their attempt to chant Hanuman Chalisa outside his residence had become highly controversial. Later, both had demanded transfer of then Amaravati police commissioner Aarti Singh for shabbily handling the Kolhe case. Singh was transferred last week as demanded by the couple. The allegations against the Thackerays are viewed against the backdrop of opposition demand for Shinde’s resignation over the Nagpur land issue.
Recently, Bollywood’s new sensation Kartik Aaryan was seen at Mumbai’s Siddhivinayak temple. It is quite commonplace to see film stars visiting religious places before the release of their movies. Amitabh Bachchan is an ardent devotee of the famous Siddhivinayak temple. He has walked nearly 12 km from his home in Juhu to this temple in Prabhadevi. He has donated a big silver rat and lent his voice for mantras and aartis for Bappa. In the early eighties when he was battling for his life special aartis were conducted at the Siddhivinayak temple. Producer-actor Jeetendra is a big devotee of Tirupati Balaji so much so in the mid-eighties when his career was down he went to Tirupati and got tonsured. Soon followed hits like Himmatwala, Tofa and since then he has never looked back. In fact, he has named his company Balaji Telefilms. Jeetendra is also a great believer of Vaishno Devi and often greets people with “Jai Mata Di”. Shah Rukh Khan visited Vaishno Devi secretly along with the director of Pathaan Siddharth Anand. His religious side surfaced only recently. Superstar Rajinikanth is a great bhakt of Raghavendra Swamy and visits the mutt located at Mantralayam, Andhra Pradesh very often. Even SS Rajamouli of Bahubali fame visits this mutt. Katrina Kaif, Govinda, Sanjay Dutt and Ajay Devgn often visit Ajmer Sharif. Actor Manoj Kumar is known to be an ardent Sai Baba follower.
There is so much hue and cry around Kuldeep Yadav, all emanating from Bangladesh. Recalled for a multi-day Test match after a gap of 21 months — for the first Test at Chattogram — he took eight wickets, scored 40 runs, was declared the man of the match and then what happens! Dropped for the second Test at Dhaka because of the appearance of a green-top surface. Instead of Yadav, skipper K L Rahul goes for left arm seamer Jaydev Unadkat who had played his previous Test in the winter of 2010! The tour selection committee’s choice of the seamer over the spinner has warranted a thumbs down reaction from former India captain and media personality Sunil Gavaskar. Obviously Yadav must have been hurt when he was informed about the captain’s decision. Not long ago, Kuldeep was one half of the callow, “Kul-Cha” spin-pair; the second half being Yuzvendra Chahal. These two wrist spinners of the unorthodox variety had replaced the then successful finger spinners, Ravichandran Ashwin- Ravindra Jadeja duo. Following their inability to get wickets against Pakistan in the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy, both were given the short shrift. Yadav and Chahal held their own — though Chahal never played for India in whites. Soon Yadav fell by the wayside and after a long time staged a successful comeback before the colour of the surface brought the axe down on him!
Shriram Finance Ltd (SFL) is born out of a composite scheme of merger and amalgamation of Shriram Capital (erstwhile holding company), Shriram Transport, Shriram City Union Finance and others. Today, they are all consigned to the pages of history. The newly-born SFL, as a consequence, has become the largest retail NBFC in the country. Shriram Financial Ventures (Chennai) Private Ltd., Shriram Ownership Trust, Shriram Value Services Ltd. and Sanlam Life Insurance Ltd are the promoters of SFL holding 25.24% of its equity. Shriram Financial Ventures (Chennai) Private Ltd. is controlled by Shriram Ownership Trust (60%) and Sanlam (40%). Grapevine has it that Shriram Financial Ventures (Chennai) Private Ltd will undergo a name change soon. In all likelihood, it will be re-named as Shriram Capital! With the advent of SFL, there appears to be a lot more clarity on the ownership front. Interestingly enough, Shriram Ownership Trust has emerged as the identifiable owner of the Shriram group. This is a perpetual trust. The members – comprising eligible employees – exit the trust upon reaching the age of 60, and are cashed out over a period of eight years thereafter. In a way, this perpetual trust will have a dynamic composition of members (with new additions and subtractions). A four-member board of management will run the trust. A unique thing about this trust – which is the ultimate holding company of the group – is that it is filled with eligible employees! Is there a parallel in the Indian corporate world where the employees are the owners of the group!
Upping pressure on Rahul Gandhi to enforce Covid norms on Bharat Jodo Yatra, the BJP walked the talk by first enforcing Covid restrictions on itself. Yes, the party suspended its “Jan Aakrosh Yatra” that it had launched in Rajasthan on December 1 in view of a rising number of Coronavirus cases globally and in the state. In fact, masks made a comeback in the Parliament with presiding officers ensuring MPs wore masks. “The BJP has suspended Jan Aakrosh Yatra in Rajasthan in the wake of rising number of Covid-19 cases. For the BJP, people come first before politics. For us the safety of people, their health is priority,” announced BJP general secretary Arun Singh. He also described Congress’s Bharat Jodo Yatra as a “morning and evening walk”. The yatra is about to enter Delhi on December 24. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi pointed out, “Both the chairs in the Parliament have requested the members to wear face masks during proceedings. But the leaders from the Opposition didn’t wear masks which shows their attitude towards Covid guidelines “On his part, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi dismissed Covid concerns flagged by the Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya as BJPs’ new idea to stop his Yatra.”They are scared of India’s truth”. Against the global rise in Covid-19 cases, India has been reporting 153 new cases on an average every day.
The high-voltage death case of late actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s deceased manager Disha Salian rocked both houses of Maharashtra legislature on Thursday (Dec 22). Attempts to corner each other by the ruling and opposition sides made the day’s proceedings stormy, leading too many angry exchanges. The opposition was extremely agitated when deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis announced in the assembly that the case will be handed over to a Special Investigation Team (SIT). Fadnavis was responding to repeated demands from treasury benches to reopen the case with which some prominent names have been connected. Shiv Sena (Uddhav) leader Aaditya Thackeray also is the focus of several allegations in regard to Salian’s death. Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) tried to turn the tables when deputy chairman Neelam Gorhe, a Sena (Uddhav) leader, directed the government to appoint a SIT to probe charges against Sena (Shinde) MP Rahul Shewale, who had levelled grave allegations against Aaditya in Delhi on December 21. Uddhav Sena member Maneesha Kayande and former minister Anil Parab raised the matter in the upper house concerning Shewale without naming him. They alleged that he had been harassing a woman who could not enter Mumbai because of him. Gorhe ordered that the matter should be entrusted to a SIT. Fadnavis later told the council that Gorhe’s directions would be examined by the government for further action. This is seen as a cautious approach by the government about the chair’s fiat.
Selling is an art. The art of selling has undergone a tremendous transformation over the years. It’s no longer selling. It’s now become marketing. Not just that. Marketing has become innovative. And, it has turned out-of-box as well! SPR City, Chennai’s premium township developer, has hit upon a novel way to attract flat buyers. It chose to organise a unique midnight carnival, offering special rates for flat owners on walk-ins. The SPR City Experience Centre played host to the Jackpot Midnight Carnival, which was held from 8 pm to 2 am, stretching over four days. Initially scheduled for two days, SPR extended the Carnival to four days in the wake of encouraging response from customers. Over the four days, there were more than 550 customer walk-ins, resulting in over 100 plus bookings. Interestingly enough, over 350 of these walk-ins came in post-midnight and saw the maximum number of bookings. “We are constantly launching new campaigns to attract prospective customers. This was the latest. The turnout was good and I am happy to see that such an innovative marketing programme held at midnight succeeded in attracting a large number of consumers,” said Navin Ranka, Director, SPR India. SPR India is the developer behind SPR City, Chennai’s largest integrated township. Incidentally, it is coming up on land which once housed the iconic Binny Mills.
As the Bharat Jodo Yatra nears Delhi, it has begun to get a bit of a mixed reception. Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandviya rushed a letter to Rahul Gandhi urging him to follow Covid protocols during the yatra. In a letter addressed to Rahul Gandhi and Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot, Mandviya suggested that he either adhere to Covid protocols or suspend the yatra. By Covid protocol, the minister meant allowing only the vaccinated and masked to participate in the BJY. Mandviya was apparently acting on complaints of three Rajasthan MPs who said their state had seen a spike in Corona cases in the aftermath of the yatra. There may be no exaggeration here; after all Himachal CM Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu tested Covid positive post his Dausa visit and failed to keep his date with PM Modi. While Jairam Ramesh dismissed complaints of MPs as a fallout of “enormous success of BJY in their state,” he admitted public health is far too serious an issue on which to play party politics. “If there is a protocol for gatherings Bharat Jodo Yatra will abide by it undoubtedly,” he said. Chattisgarh CM Bhupesh Bhagel, however, felt the Centre was “looking for new ways to stop the yatra.” When there was Corona, you held polls in WB, Assam and UP. Now you’re making excuses to stop the yatra?” he asked.
Whereas opposition parties in Maharashtra have been cornering the Shinde-Fadnavis government over the contentious border dispute with Karnataka, all political parties in the neighbouring state have joined hands to oppose Maharashtra’s demand for merger of Marathi-speaking areas with the state. Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai has floated the idea of adopting a unanimous resolution in the state assembly to assert his state’s territorial status. The opposition Congress and other parties have agreed to support the unity gesture. Incidentally, they have kept mum over the issue, allowing Bommai to articulate Karnataka’s oft-repeated stand. On the other hand, various opposition leaders in Maharashtra have criticised CM Eknath Shinde over the statements coming from across the state border and his alleged silence about the whole matter. Despite intervention by Union home minister Amit Shah, tension continues to rise between the two states since then. Maharashtra excise minister Shambhuraje Desai has threatened to rethink about Koyna dam water supply from the state to Karnataka during summer season. Shiv Sena (Uddhav) MP Sanjay Raut has alleged that Shinde had been swallowing insults hurled at him by Bommai over the issue. No other state has humiliated Maharashtra like this, he commented. Leader of the opposition Ajit Pawar promised the government that it will receive opposition support to a similar resolution if it were moved in the Maharashtra assembly.
He knows how to market himself and emote with his audience. That’s what makes superstar Shah Rukh Khan very special. But at 57 he is battling on several fronts. His movie Pathaan to be released on January 25, has been dragged into controversy over the saffron-colored bikini worn by Deepika. The right wing has called for a boycott of the movie. And to make matters worse, the media has been going whole hog reporting it. Why not? SRK has been avoiding the media like a plague. Reason, he feels the entire tribe went overboard while reporting on his son Aryan Khan’s drug case. Now, he feels he could do without them. It may be recalled that in the eighties Big B was banned by the media but it made no difference to his career. SRK does not have that luxury. He needs a box office hit. So he is using different ways to reach his audience. At the Kolkata International Film Festival the actor spoke about the social media negativity that put spotlight on his film. He also visited Mecca and then Vaishnodevi. He has kept pushing the envelope. He landed at Sports18 studio just before Argentina-France final kick off. Besides, he is talking to social media influencers like Faye Dsouza to put his points across to the audience. In the past inclusion of Pakistani cricketers almost led to the ban of his film My Name is Khan. Now, all eyes on January 25.
The TN BJP chief K Annamalai is keen on his party taking its own direction in the state. He wants to test the waters in the Lok Sabha polls of 2024 to check what percentage of the votes the BJP can get in the state when standing on its own. Depending on the outcome, he would like the party to decide on the Assembly poll alliance for 2026. The party is impressed with the response Annamalai’s leadership is getting even if he himself is under pressure over the designer Rafale special edition watch, said to have been priced at Rs 5 lakh, that has been raked up after he targeted the DMK for corruption. The AIADMK, led by Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS), is on tenterhooks regarding the outcome in the party case. The verdict is due on January 4 and his bargaining power on behalf of what is so far the official AIADMK could depend on where the judges go on the dispute with OPS’ wing of the same party. The BJP is playing a clever waiting game to see where the judgment takes the issue and if EPS comes off the worse in court, he could be in for a tough time. Meanwhile, there is talk of DMK joining the NDA fold but that is so much hot air at the moment even if in politics anything is possible.
For a change treasury benches were on the offensive in the Parliament. Congress President Kharge’s “chuha” charge against PM Narendra Modi spiced up House proceedings. It provided a breather from a stalemate on Tawang clashes. A day after Kharge called Modi a “chuha” or a mouse at a public rally in Alwar on December 19, there was sparring in the Rajya Sabha over Kharge’s name calling with the Leader of the House & Union Minister Piyush Goyal demanding an apology from him. Kharge naturally stonewalled and insisted that the remarks were made outside the Parliament and should not be discussed in the House. He argued that what he said during Bharat Jodo Yatra in Rajasthan’s Alwar was outside the House and was politically outside the House, not inside. Karnataka Congress sources believe that by continuously attacking PM Modi, Kharge was pitching himself as a PM candidate for 2024. Kharge maintained that if he were to only “repeat “what he said outside it would be difficult for the BJP. “The BJP accused the Congress of holding ‘Bharat Todo Yatra’, to which I responded by saying that Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi gave their lives for the country. Who has given life from your side (saffron party)?” Interestingly, Kharge’s attack on Modi helped the Government shift focus from Tawang clashes in the Parliament.
The Qatar22 FIFA World Cup began with Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, Lionel Messi creating all the noise because each one of them was chasing a dream of laying their hands on the silverware, but by the semi-finals the noise became shriller and around the two icons, Messi and Kylian Mbappe. Now that Messi has crowned himself with glory, the football world is trying to trigger a debate on the individual brilliance of Mbappe and another young kid on the block, 22-year old Norwegian Erling Haaland whose country was absent at Qatar. The Leeds born Haaland is a No 9 centre forward and plays for Manchester City for which he has played 13 matches and scored 18 goals in the EPL. He has played 23 matches for Norway and scored 21 goals. Mbappe has already earned the sobriquet “Bomber in the Box” and his hattrick in the final at Doha against Argentina has vaulted him to the super star category. Both are sprinters and they stun their opponents with explosive runs and reactions, a terrific virtue that is going to be copied by the present generation. Mbappe has already won the World Cup (in Russia 2018) and the silver and Golden Boot at Qatar, whereas Haaland will most probably make his World Cup debut in 2026 when 48 teams qualify for the FIFA World Cup Finals in the USA, Canada and Mexico.
DMK supremo MK Stalin, taking a page from the Telangana chief minister KCR has elevated his son Udhayanidhi to the cabinet as number 10, even though his portfolio, Sports and Youth Affairs is generally ranked way down in the pecking order of ministerial berths. This move seems to have evoked resentment and rancor among some senior DMK leaders. Lok Sabha MP T R Balu was expecting his son T R B Raja to be inducted into the TN cabinet. A hurt Balu skipped the coronation ceremony citing Parliament session in Delhi. The other person who also seems miffed is the state finance minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan. Popularly known as PTR, he was seething with anger as his rank moved from 22 to 27. Stalin, it is rumoured, is planning to name his son Deputy CM while he takes off on his annual medical check-up trip to London. Sensing an undercurrent within the party fold over elevation of his son Stalin asked the party’s intelligence arm to survey the revolt potential within the party and family, if the son is made the boss. Sure enough, the survey revealed that Udhayanidhi may be good as a film star but politics is not his cup of tea, at least for now. K Annamalai, the BJP‘s dynamic chief could shred him in any debate. So the collective advice is to groom him and hand over the reins over a period of time.
It was interesting to watch External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar make a transition from a suave diplomat to an ace politician. After putting down Pakistan foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto at the UN Security Council meeting, Jaishankar gave a full dressing down to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in the Lok Sabha for his comment on clashes between Indian and Chinese troops on December 9 in Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh, saying the word “pitai” (beating) should not be used for “our jawans”.“We have no problem with political criticism but we should not disrespect our jawans. I have heard that my own understanding needs to be deepened. When I see who is giving the advice I can only bow and respect,” Jaishankar said. He was taking on Rahul who had suggested that the EAM must “broaden” his understanding. “If we were indifferent to China then who sent the Indian Army to the border? If we were indifferent to China then why are we pressuring China for de-escalation and disengagement today? Why are we saying publicly that our relations are not normal?” the minister asked. Earlier, speaking at India Today event, Jaishankar said,” You have a deployment of the Indian Army on the China border that we never had. It is done to counter Chinese aggression. The Indian Army today is deployed to counter any attempt to unilaterally change LAC. This deployment is not on orders of Rahul Gandhi, it is on orders of the Prime Minister.” Will Jaishankar’s exhaustive statement help end Opposition disruption of the House?
The Shinde-Fadnavis government in Maharashtra has issued a tacit warning to ‘some’ political parties that the forces creating unrest in the state’s border areas by instigating demands for merger with neighbouring states had been identified by the police. They will be uncovered in the due course, deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had indicated on December 18. The Maharashtra-Karnataka border dispute has assumed a political hue even as an agitation was organised by the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) at the border with Karnataka on Monday (Dec 19) to press for the merger of Marathi-speaking areas with the state. On the opening day of the state legislature’s winter session, opposition leader Ajit Pawar tried to corner the government over the chronic feud. In his impassioned retort, chief minister Eknath Shinde warned that the elements inciting village panchayat resolutions to demand merger with the neighbouring state have been identified. He, however, did not specify any details but reiterated that a bogus twitter handle in the name of his counterpart Basavaraj Bommai was used for fuelling the agitation. But former chief minister Ashok Chavan pointed out that the handle had been verified by Twitter as genuine. Moreover, even today, official Karnataka government decisions were uploaded on the handle, active since January 2015. If it was bogus, why was it not deleted, demanded Chavan.
It’s rare that the Chief Minister of a State goes out of his way to torpedo an expansion plan. That’s what’s happening in the case of Trivandrum Airport which needs to expand and extend its 3.1 km runway to meet the International Civil Aviation Organisations (ICAO) specifications. For expansion, an additional 18.5 acres of land adjoining the present airport has already been earmarked. Out of this, 16 acres are government land and the balance in private hands. The Adanis, who operate the airport, have been after Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan for the release of land. Pinarayi seems to be sitting on the proposal. ICAO has given Trivandrum airport time till December 2023 or lose its International airport status. This will mean stoppage of all international flights to and from Kerala’s first international airport built on land given by the Travancore Maharaja. The airport operates 120 international flights per week. Pinarayi’s ire follows the State government’s failure in its bid to take over Trivandrum airport from AAI. Two of Kerala’s greenfield airports — Kochi and Kannur — are run by the private sector with the State Government being the principal shareholder. Despite being world class, Pinarayi’s home town airport at Kannur is struggling for want of traffic and passengers. If the CM hopes that by blocking Trivandrum airport’s expansion Kannur could benefit, then he is totally off the mark going by the distance between the two places.
Even as the much delayed ( almost shelved) shooting of Indian 2, directed by Shankar resumed, Kamal Haasan ensured that a striking still of himself as the hero of Indian 2, in his old man get up posing opposite the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose statue at Marina Beach was splashed across social media. This artfully shot still does not show him facing the camera, but no one can miss Kamal in his Indian 2 avatar. “This statue of the great warrior Netaji was inaugurated by Kalaignar on the same day 25 years ago. I am standing under the statue while shooting for Indian 2. Great humans, great memories,” Kamal tweeted. Resurrecting his film career is not his only agenda. The awesome success of Vikram has given Kamal a much needed shot of adrenaline tinged testosterone. His floundering political outfit, Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) had to be resurrected too. What better than the chance to join Rahul Gandhi’s super optics road show, Bharat Jodo Yatra. With the likes of Raghuram Rajan giving the yatra heft, Kamal has said yes to Rahul’s invite. The President of MNM and his cadre will join the March in New Delhi on December 24. Kamal has got his much needed insurance for Indian 2 at the box office, and may be a slot for MNM in an omnibus alliance.
The winter session of the Maharashtra legislature beginning at Nagpur from December 19 will witness caustic exchanges between the ruling saffron alliance and the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) over several issues, political, religious and emotional. As of now, the schedule has been finalised to continue the session till 29 December. However, prominent leaders from both sides are desirous of extending the duration to three weeks since Vidarbha region is going to be a lucrative battlefield in the assembly and Lok Sabha elections in 2024. If the extension is agreed upon, the main grievance of Vidarbha that it has been neglected will be addressed effectively, they feel. Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari will be at the receiving end when MVA partners fire their salvos from the opening day. A remark by him about Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj has provided solid ammunition to the opposition. Another thorny issue will be the formation of a committee by the state government to consult and advise girls who have entered into interfaith marriages. The government’s decision to call back an award announced to the translator of alleged Naxal brain Kobad Ghandhy’s book ‘Fractured Freedom’ will also be challenged to corner the Shinde-Fadnavis government. The Nagpur police have received notices by organisers of about a hundred protest groups about their plans to stage demonstrations during the session. Security outside the bungalows of CM Eknath Shinde and Dy CM Devendra Fadnavis has been beefed up accordingly.
Well known Odia star Anubhav Mohanty and youngest BJD MP is focusing on his first love — movies. It may be recalled that the Odia actor and his actress wife Varsha Priyadarshini made headlines when their marital discord became ugly. This popular star and sitting MP from Kendrapara, made a big splash two decades ago on the silver screen with his film “I Love You “. It was a super hit and made him a star overnight. Recently, the Odia star was seen in London shooting for his film Love In London. Film’s Director Tapas Sargharia who is also a well-known screenwriter and actor is thrilled that he was able to sign Anubhav for this project. “A large chunk of the film is shot at the iconic places – London Eye, London Bridge and Thames River”, said Sargharia. “It’s a love story with a difference,” he assures. Poulomi Das is the heroine. Anubhav revealed that the film’s climax is “unusual and the audience will have Goosebumps.” This love story is deep-rooted in the social values, culture and tradition of Odisha. Film will hit the big screen in 2023. “It’s a huge balancing act between the Parliament and dates to shoot,” says Anubhav. “But I never lose a single day in the Parliament”, he says. That’s work-life balance for him.
Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde has unequivocally stated that the proposed oil refinery near Rajapur in the Konkan region will materialise as it is the wish of the local people. He has asked the detractors of the project to cooperate and not obstruct. During his first Ratnagiri district visit as chief minister, Shinde made several announcements to lure the public opinion in the region, which has been traditionally supporting the Shiv Sena set up by Balasaheb Thackeray. He promised that when commissioned, the refinery will generate huge employment. Shinde did not lose the opportunity to castigate the Sena (Uddhav) during his public address. He said certain elements had been hindering industrial progress by creating opposition to the proposals originally introduced by themselves. In this connection, Shinde said the land acquisition for the Nagpur-Mumbai Samruddhi Expressway was attempted to be stalled by such elements but he had convinced the land owners of the potential benefits and persuaded them to cooperate. The same will happen in case of the refinery, he was confident. Shinde announced a package of Rs 700 crore for taking up various developmental projects in the region. He said an autonomous corporation would be formed soon to take care of the needs of the Konkan. Development of tourism and coastal areas, preservation of historical forts and monuments will be among the steps he spelt out.
West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee has officially endorsed the idea of making her party Trinamool Congress (TMC) as a national one with “Mission Meghalaya”. In her two day tour, accompanied by the party’s second-in-command and her nephew Abhishek Banerjee, Didi went out all possible ways to tackle the issue of being “outsiders” or a “Bengali party”. Interestingly, Mamata spoke about a similar set of schemes of Lakshmir Bhandar for women of Meghalaya promising to pay Rs 1000 if her party forms the government in the upcoming election in February 2023. The northeastern state is presently ruled by the National People’s Party, an ally of the BJP. Didi also offered Rs 5 lakh to the bereaved family members of the deceased in the recent Assam-Meghalaya border clash. It must be noted that TMC’s previous ventures outside Bengal in the states of Assam, Tripura, Manipur and Goa had no positive results. Moreover, Didi had always given these responsibilities to party colleagues like Mukul Roy and then to Abhishek, without putting her political capital at stake, hence the failure of these experiments never cost her. But, this time she has made it official by lending her name to a mission outside Bengal. This could be seen as her attempts to match Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, who has made his Aam Aadmi Party’s presence felt beyond Delhi and emerged as a key player in the Opposition block.
It was as if Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was waiting for a question on border dispute in Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh to unleash his scathing attack on the Modi government. Charging the Centre of being clueless, he claimed, “China is preparing for war, but the Indian government seems to be sleeping. China is gearing up for the war but our government is not ready to accept this fact.” These words were a bit rich coming from a leader, who took briefing from a Chinese envoy when Indian soldiers gave a befitting response to the Chinese soldiers in Galwan two years ago. Recently the Chinese Government has acknowledged 11 of its soldiers had died in Galwan. But then Rahul is so easily convinced by Chinese official propaganda that he even went on to assert that “China’s PLA is beating our soldiers on the border. They are preparing for the full offensive, but our government is hiding it. We need to be careful as the government only indulges in rhetoric.” Unfortunately for the Congress and the Opposition, the Indian side did not suffer much in Tawang clashes and even the soldiers who required hospitalisation in Guwahati were so few. So why is Rahul pushing the China narrative in India? Who does it benefit? Is it because the Congress has some fraternal ties with Communist Party of China that Rahul is feeling compelled to defend every action of Beijing? Possibly.
The BJP will organise a protest march on Saturday ( Dec 17) in Mumbai to retaliate against a silent march by the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA). Both sides are planning to ensure huge turnouts for this first trial of strength on streets after the formation of the Shinde-Fadnavis government. The provocation for both the morchas will be the same – insult to great personalities of the past. Leaders of the Shiv Sena (Uddhav), the Congress and the NCP have directed their workers to bring maximum people by train, bus and private vehicles for the morcha. Former CM Uddhav Thackeray will be the main speaker. After some suspense, deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis declared on Friday that permission for the MVA morcha will be issued. But they will have to maintain peace and order, he said. The MVA morcha will be taken out to express outrage against certain objectionable remarks about giants of the past by prominent people like Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari. The BJP will try to hit back by taking out a protest march to condemn Sena MP Sanjay Raut’s statement that Dr B R Ambedkar was born in Maharashtra. BJP leader Ashish Shelar said this was an insult to the architect of the constitution as he was born at Mhow in today’s Madhya Pradesh.
It has been a week since election results came out. Yet there is no full-fledged government in Himachal Pradesh. Both CM Sukhinder Singh Sukhu and his 39 MLAs are busy doing parikrama of Delhi. They are expected to join Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra in Dausa, Rajasthan on December 16 on completing 100 days. As for giving the final shape to his team, Sukhu says it will happen after an assembly session. That’s probably why BJP leader and former Himachal CM Jairam Thakur is no longer moping about losing the elections but focusing on turning tables on the Congress for running a campaign against him and calling him names like “helicopter vale CM”. He hit out at the Congress for just appointing a CM and a deputy CM and went full blast raising questions on the misuse of helicopters. Thakur wanted to know how a small state like Himachal which has a legislative assembly of 68 MLAs can have a CM and a deputy CM? The chopper first goes to drop the Dy CM and then returns to pick the CM. Now there is talk of appointing another Deputy CM. Will it not increase financial burden? Meanwhile CM Sukhu has already made three Cabinet rank appointments. His close aide Sunil Sharma has been appointed political adviser, AICC joint secretary Gokul Butail as principal adviser (IT & innovation) and Naresh Chauhan as principal adviser (media).
Everything has fallen in place for the grand final of the Qatar22 FIFA World Cup on Sunday (Dec 18). The showpiece event that will bring the curtain down to one of the most unique World Cups is already billed as the clash of the Titans – between a legend in Lionel Messi and superstar Kylian Mbappe, a legend in the making. These two are the only premium class stalwarts who will be seen in action that will deliver the Champion side — Argentina or France. Both the teams lost a match each to Arabic speaking sides — Saudi Arabia and Tunisia in the group stage. But now the time is upon Argentina to win the World Cup for Messi, while Mbappe who has already won it in Russia’18, is anxious to win back to back for himself and for France. The crowd that will be close to 90000 at the Lusail Iconic Stadium — much of it wearing the blue vertical triband top — will root for Argentina. On another aspect, Mbappe and Messi have scored five goals each and so there is another race in the final for the Golden Boot that’s awarded to the highest goal scorer in the tournament. But Argentina’s Julian Alvarez and France’s Olivier Giroud with four goals each could come into the reckoning after the final. The number of assists and less time on the pitch will determine the winner.
We are never far from statue politics in a country that reveres its icons so much that there cannot be a town without a clutch of statues, ranging from nation builders to sporting champions. The latest salvo against a statue comes from the husband of Mary Kom, six-time World Women’s boxing champion and an Olympic bronze medallist. Onler Karong says the statue in Imphal’s Olympic Park does not resemble his wife, Mary. Be that as it may, there was more trouble in the capital of statues, which is Chennai in Tamil Nadu when a statue of Indira Gandhi had to be moved out of the pedestal to make way for six-laning of the Chennai-Bangalore highway at Sriperumbudur, a spot not far from where her son Rajiv Gandhi was cruelly decimated by a body belt bomber from Sri Lanka who came straight out of a Frederick Forsyth novel. TN’s Congressmen were upset that an iconic statue to which Rajiv had paid homage before going to the public meeting at which he was assassinated on May 21, 1991 was being shifted. They would not let the highways department move the statue but then relented in a public cause of highway expansion. They moved the statue themselves to the entrance of the Rajiv Gandhi memorial so mother and son could be remembered as victims of political assassinations. Finally, who can forget Mayawati for erecting statues of herself when she was UP’s chief minister (2007-12).
Leaders of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) constituent parties have expressed chagrin over the Shinde-Fadnavis government’s delay to permit its protest march planned in Mumbai on Saturday (Dec 17 ). The permission is likely to be issued later tonight or on Friday, though under certain conditionalities. MVA leaders are uneasy since hectic preparations by the Shiv Sena (Uddhav), the NCP and the Congress to ensure a large turnout are underway but there is an air of uncertainty. Presence of Communist leader Prakash Reddy and JD(U) MLC Kapil Patil, however, has heightened opposition morale. Organisers of the morcha were planning to erect a dais opposite the Times of India building on busy D N Road for MVA leaders to address the audience. However, the police have not cleared the plan. Similarly, there are still some rough edges about the route of the silent march and discussions are underway to come to an understanding. Leader of the opposition in the legislative assembly, Ajit Pawar has declared that the morcha will take place under any circumstances and he himself will join it. After a MVA meeting to discuss the modalities of the morcha at Pawar’s residence, Sena MP Sanjay Raut said every party had a right to lodge its protest in a democratic manner and no government could stop it.
Chaatrapati Shivaji Maharaja’s direct descendant Chhatrapati Udayanraje Bhosale has now trained his guns against Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar over what he terms as political infiltration in the Rayat Shikshan Sanstha in rural Maharashtra. Sent to the Rajya Sabha by the BJP despite his defeat in the 2019 Lok Sabha election, Bhosale has been in the news at present for leading various protest actions organised to condemn the recent objectionable statements about Chhatrapati Shivaji. Rayat Shikshan Sanstha, popularly called just Rayat, is among the largest educational institutions with over 4.5 lakh students and 17000 employees. Headed by Pawar for a long time, there is no representative from the royal Bhosale family on its governing body although the family had donated land during Rayat’s initial years. Not just Bhosale, even Shiv Sena (Uddhav) leaders from Satara had criticised Rayat on this count. Pawar’s detractors had alleged that due to political influence, even the job of painting Rayat’s buildings had been awarded to a person from Baramati. Bhosale visited the agitating employees of Rayat at Satara for their various demands. Blaming the role of politicians in Rayat, Bhosale said the founder, Bhaurao Patil, had stated in writing that the president of Rayat should be the chief minister of the state. However, it is captured by politicians, leading to the sorry situation when academicians have to protest for their rights.
The first G20 Finance and Central Bank Deputies (FCBD) meeting held in Bengaluru (Dec 13-15) was to prepare an effective forum for global economic discourse. This meeting marks the start of discussions on the Finance Track agenda under the Indian G20 Presidency and is hosted by the Ministry of Finance and the RBI. Co-chaired by Department of Economic Affairs Secretary Ajay Seth and RBI Deputy Governor Dr Michael D Patra, their counterparts from G20 member countries, and representatives from international organisations participated in the meeting. Through a series of nearly 40 meetings that will be held in several locations across the country, the Finance Track India will champion the cause of the “Global South”, promoting “oneness”, and lead in pushing for a collaborative action. The G20 Finance Track, led by Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors of G20 countries, will focus on economic and financial issues to “provide an effective forum for global economic discourse and policy coordination”. The First Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors meeting will be held during February 23-25, 2023 in Bengaluru. In the Bengaluru meeting, discussions will focus on the agenda for the Finance Track under the Indian G20 Presidency. This includes reorienting international financial institutions to meet the shared global challenges of the 21st century, financing cities of tomorrow, managing global debt vulnerabilities, advancing financial inclusion, financing for climate action and a globally coordinated approach to advancing the international taxation agenda.
With the fall of December, heavy-weight Trinamool Congress (TMC) and state BJP leaders have locked horns for the 2023 Panchayat polls. Both the parties have been indulging in organising counter rallies as a show of strength and their organisational hold of the area. Recently, the state witnessed the most high voltage rallies, where TMC’s National general secretary Abhishek Banerjee and Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari of the BJP targeted each other’s fiefdoms with their choice of rally venues. While Abhishek held a rally at Contai near the residence of Adhikari, the latter chose to address a gathering at Diamond Harbour, the constituency that the TMC national general secretary represents in Lok Sabha. However, both the leaders moved the court in order to hold the rallies and later directly challenged each other at their respective public meetings. Adhikari has been quoting multiple dates saying the present Didi’s government will not last beyond December and the state will have assembly elections along with Lok Sabha election in 2024. However, BJP sources have said that quoting dates has not gone down well with the BJP high command. Besides taking on TMC’s second in command, Adhikari held a rally at Didi’s home turf at Harzra. Interestingly, Adhikari backtracked from his claim of toppling the government in December, instead giving a fresh date of January 13.
For a change, the Congress benches were happy that Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla allowed their Virudhanagar MP and AICC in charge for Telangana Manickam Tagore to make a brief special mention in the House the issue of Hyderabad police raid on of the office of its key poll strategist Sunil Kanulogu and detaining of five people for allegedly posting on social media derogatory comments against Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR). Kanugolu, member of AICC national task force, is currently strategising for Telangana PCC. After lodging an FIR in the case, the Hyderabad Cyber Crimes police conducted the raid, seized mobile phones, laptops and other equipment used by the Kanugolu’s team. Tagore said the police barged into Kanugolu’s office on September 13 evening without an FIR and picked up an eclectic team working with the strategist on the instructions of KCR’s son and Telangana Minister KT Rama Rao. After the party got to record its opposition against Telangana in the Lok Sabha, the AICC still decided to equate KCR with PM Modi. ”When it comes to his own daughter K Kavitha in the Delhi liquor scam, KCR demands from the CBI…give me this paper, show me that notice…only then will my daughter be questioned by the agency. However, while raiding the war room of the Congress or detaining members of Sunil Kanugolu the Telangana police behaved like goondas,” charged party spokesperson Pawan Khera.
The general impression was Pathaan was the comeback ticket for superstar Shah Rukh Khan. But, it seems to happen the other way round. Like it or not Deepika Padukone seems to be all over, grabbing headlines not King Khan. Deepika has not only been getting bad press but also heavily trolled for ‘Besharam song’ promo from soon-to-be released Pathaan movie. The so-called right wing moral police has labelled Deepika ‘besharam’. In fact, her action has stumped everybody? Insiders feel that Deepika is one of the top actresses of Bollywood who has proved her skills and does not have to cavort in skimpy clothes like a newcomer. Is Deepika feeling insecure? Is she doing this to project herself as an international star? Insiders are saying that Alia Bhatt, Katrina Kaif are not showing their skin to prove their stardom so why is Deepika an established successful star doing this? Her hubby Ranveer’s full monty was not appreciated at all. Just a few days back, her fans appreciated her song in Cirkus and now they are thrashing her. For now Deepika has two films Fighter, an action packed drama and Rohit Shetty’s cop series where she plays female Singham on her plate. But, going by the backlash of Besharam song she certainly needs to revisit her PR strategy.
Ahead of the Maharashtra legislature’s winter session beginning in Nagpur on December 19, hectic preparations are on by various opposition parties to make a protest demonstration to be held in Mumbai on Saturday (Dec 17) successful so as to present a united face against the Shinde-Fadnavis government. In a rare gesture, the Communists and the Samajwadi Party have announced their support. So far, they have been keeping away from any faction of the Shiv Sena. Incidentally, former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray will be spearheading the morcha as leader of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA). Over the last two days a series of meetings were held to finalise the preparations. Controversial statements by top guns of the ruling alliance under Eknath Shinde and Devendra Fadnavis have provided fodder for the opposition cannon, which has been booming over the Maharashtra-Karnataka border dispute to corner the saffron alliance. The attacks will be intensified at the winter session, expected to last till the end of the year. The Saturday morcha’s route in Mumbai will pass through the congested areas like Bhendi Bazar and Fort. An application has been filed with the city police for permission though a green signal is still awaited. Nonetheless, MVA is determined to ensure an impressive turnout.
Rail &Telecom Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw is not the usual polite technocrat that he seems; he could be even politically savvy given an opportunity. Much of his wit was on display during the Question Hour on December 14 when he was taking a query on network problems of BSNL from a Karnataka BJP MP. Vaishnaw explained that the BSNL went through a very bad phase, primarily because of “certain political parties, especially during the UPA Government” when a lot of its funds were diverted. With DMK benches being empty in the Lok Sabha, there was not much contest on this point though Congress leader Sonia Gandhi was present in the house. Disclosing that PM Modi has approved a package of Rs 164,000 crore for the revival of BSNL. “We should take pride in the country’s engineers. The PM gave this challenge to our engineers, in line with PM’s Make-in-India initiative, today, the 4G and 5G technologies stack are made in India, designed in India, and developed in India. Today, it is recognised all over the world. For certain people — from the other side of the House — BSNL was always a cash cow. Those days are gone.” On questions raised by Congress members on data cost, he countered them saying that under the UPA consumers had to pay Rs 200 for 1 GB, today it is around Rs 20.
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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.