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Last week, as Congress leaders protested against Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s so-called “anti-Ambedkar” remark in Rajya Sabha, Rahul Gandhi joined his party MPs in a blue T-shirt, giving up his trademark white polo T-shirt. His sister Priyanka also twinned with him wearing a blue sari. Clearly the Gandhi siblings opted to go for a very visual protest against Shah’s remarks. The choice of the colour of clothes of the Leader of Opposition (LoP) — usually spotted donning plain white T-shirts raised eyebrows. The colour blue has been associated with Dalit politics since 1942, when Dr BR Ambedkar established the Scheduled Castes Federation to campaign for the rights of the Dalit community. The body adopted a blue flag featuring Ashok Chakra. The flag was later retained by the Republican Party of India (RPI), founded by Ambedkar in 1956. Over time, blue became very closely associated with Dalit identity and activism. Even political parties like the Bahujan Samaj Party and the ASP, which champions Dalit welfare, embraced blue colour in their branding. As the Gandhi siblings lead the protest, it was the choice of colour of their clothes that caught everyone’s attention!
The Winter Session which saw a two-day discussion on the 75th anniversary of the Constitution and introduction of One Nation One Election (ONOE) Bill has come to a close. It brought out sharp divisions over discussions and bills at least in two political parties — the Congress and DMK. In the Congress, if a first term MP Priyanka Vadra was seen opening the discussion on the Constitution in the Lok Sabha, for some reason senior leader and eminent lawyer P Chidambaram did not get an opportunity to have his say about the Constitution in the Rajya Sabha. In the DMK, there was a clear division of views between the DMK parliamentary party leader TR Baalu and deputy leader Kanimozhi. While Baalu endorsed the government’s offer to refer the Bill to the Joint Parliamentary Committee, Kanimozhi seemed completely surprised by his stand and insisted that her party was opposed to the Bill and demanded its withdrawal.”DMK has consistently opposed the entire Bill. We do not accept that there can be ONOE because it is against the Constitution. It is against federal rights and it is against the will of the people. People choose state governments for 5 years, I don’t think you can take that right away from the people and give it to the EC to decide how many years governments can last or not. So, this is completely against the state, against federalism” said Kanimozhi. While her stand reflects TN assembly resolution passed in February against ONOE Bill this year, the media is awash with reports about how her late father Kalaignar M Karunanidhi had highlighted the benefits of simultaneous polls in his autobiography Nenjuku Neethi. Incidentally, Karunanidhi had advanced state polls to 1971 to coincide with LS polls.
The Thursday (Dec 19) visit of BJP and Shiv Sena (Shinde) MLAs to the RSS headquarters in Nagpur has become a hot political topic though there are other reasons, too, for intense politicking. Firstly, the MLAs belonging to the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) led by deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar did not join the event. Secondly, those disgruntled due to their non-inclusion in the council of ministers have started expressing their anger openly. Like earlier two occasions, Ajit Pawar and most of his followers distanced themselves from the visit organized by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. The presence of former CM Eknath Shinde and his MLAs proved to be another highlight. However, the discontent brewing within Mahayuti on other counts is now becoming more vocal. Political heavyweight Chhagan Bhujbal was the first to articulate it. His open criticism of Ajit Pawar surprised many since he had stayed by the side of Pawar all through. Now, there are reports that some of Bhujbal’s supporters want him to join the BJP to end his political wilderness. So far, Bhujbal has maintained that he is with the NCP (Ajit). The other notable leader to become the subject of political speculation is the legislative council’s deputy chairperson Neelam Gorhe. Her detractors, mainly the recent Sena (UBT) entrant Sushama Andhare, have started hinting at Gorhe’s plans to go with the BJP. Gorhe, too, has not reacted to the talk. Ajit’s sudden disappearance for two days from the winter session only added grist to the grapevine. His explanation that he was down with a throat infection is hardly swallowed. More murmurs are expected to be heard once Fadnavis announces the allocation of the portfolios.
The Shiv Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray has started preparing for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) election, expected to take place early next year. This will be the fight for political survival for Thackeray because the Sena has been in power in India’s richest civic body since 1985. Taking stock of the situation, other political parties, too, have begun their planning. The picture this time will be fundamentally different since the BJP has emerged as the largest party in the state after the assembly election. Its estrangement with the Sena (UBT), which split in 2022 owing to Eknath Shinde’s decision to walk out of it, will be a major factor in the coming election in which the Congress will be an insignificant player, given its lacklustre performance in Mumbai and the state as a whole. Equally exasperating is the condition of the state Congress committee as its president Nana Patole is perceived as an ineffective leader by the rank and file. The BMC’s last election saw the Sena winning 84 seats in the 227-member house while the BJP had captured 82. Owing to the alliance ethics, the BJP had made no effort to bag the mayoralty of the financial capital of India. However, the BJP is not prepared to take any chance this time and a decision about its Mumbai president is likely to be taken soon. Sitting chief Ashish Shelar is among the hopefuls though his inclusion in the council of ministers could be a decisive factor in the final choice.
This was to happen one day or the other with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) putting its foot down saying it will not send its national teams to India for any signature event of the ICC, like the World Cups in the two formats in men, women and the juniors. This was the PCB’s riposte to the long-standing BCCI position — citing security concerns — that it will not send its team across the border for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 and that it will play only at a neutral venue. For three World Test Championship (WTC) the two nations have taken themselves off the Future Tours Programme (FTP). The cricketers of the two countries may enjoy good relationships when they lock horns in neutral country venues and have fans across the border, but the Indian government has been steadfast in denying permission to the BCCI. The latest communication from the ICC has confirmed that in the 2024-2027 cycle all ICC events given to India and Pakistan, the matches featuring the two countries will be held at a neutral country chosen by the host country; in the Champions Trophy case the PCB is the host. What all this means is the elimination of high security arrangements that India had to do when Pakistan played last year’s World Cup matches in Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Chennai and Kolkata. It took hard bargaining by the PCB with the ICC — with Jay Shah in Chair since December 1, 2024 — for it to agree to a hybrid model in order to ensure that it remains the host in a neutral country venue as well and where India will play and this country is said to be the United Arab Emirates.
The massive success of Pushpa 2, has reignited the debate over screen allocation in West Bengal’s single-screen theatres. While the blockbuster continues to dominate the box office, its stronghold has created challenges for four Bengali films— Khadaan, Shontaan, Chaalchitro, and 5 No. Swapnamoy Lane—which targeted Christmas Day for their releases. The overlap has sparked a heated controversy over securing adequate slots in single-screen theatres, which remain a key audience base for Bengali cinema. Single-screen theatres across Bengal are grappling with the balancing act of accommodating these films while catering to the massive demand for Pushpa 2. Tollywood’s Christmas lineup has been significantly impacted, with producer-actor Dev expressing frustration on social media. He alleged that Khadan’s shows and advance bookings were disrupted due to the overwhelming presence of Pushpa 2. Arijit Dutta, owner of Priya Theatre, reported dividing slots among the films: Khadaan (two shows), Chaalchitro (one), 5 No. Swapnamoy Lane (one), and Pushpa 2 (one). However, veteran actor Mithun Chakraborty’s Shontaan was left out entirely, sparking outrage from its director Raj Chakraborty, who criticized the lack of consistent support for Bengali cinema. A distributor, speaking anonymously, blamed the simultaneous release of multiple Bengali films during the festive season, suggesting a lack of coordination among producers. He pointed to Bollywood’s strategy of staggering releases as a model Tollywood could emulate. Star Theatre owner Joydeep Mukherjee called for better planning within the Bengali film industry to avoid internal competition. Interestingly, allegations have resurfaced about Shontaan‘s producer, pressuring hall owners to prioritize its films. This history has led some distributors to side with independent producers in the current clash.
Sunday’s swearing in of 33 (16:9:8 ratio for BJP, Shiv Sena, NCP respectively) mostly young cabinet ministers in CM Devendra Fadnavis’ 3.0 government was not followed up by expected portfolio allocations even late Thursday (Dec 19). The unrelenting clamour for one specific portfolio by a senior BJP minister-in-waiting (in apparent conflict of interest), aspiration to improve upon earlier performance in power sector by another are in the open awaiting the Maha Chanakya to coolly decide upon. Scribes housed at the state government ‘Suyog’ facility within the Family court premises near Vidhan Bhavan enjoy the Nagpur chill over familial evenings at ‘Sneh Bojans’ hosted by these as-yet ‘Anamika’ ministers. DCM Eknath Shinde’s camp brews hostility from left out veteran MLAs and cherry-picking ministers-in-waiting who threaten boiling point anytime soon. This is unlike the chill that has set upon the near deserted NCP office at Vidhan Bhavan sans activity, notwithstanding the bustling beehive of activity right outside and within the state legislature that is hosting its winter session. It is probably the first time in Maharashtra’s political history for such an ongoing legislature session without specifically assigned ministers manning questions on the floor of the state assembly and council while responding to public interest issues of state. For now, all portfolios rest with CM Fadnavis. NCP veteran Chhagan Bhujbal, Sena’s Tanaji Sawant complain vociferously from out in the cold even as some BJP MLAs rue their bad luck despite winning big in Mumbai city where the richest civic body will face the hustings very soon.
The events outside Parliament House that led to injuries to two BJP MPs was best summed up by FM Nirmala Sitharaman in her X post. She explained how “During the INDI Alliance’s protest inside Parliament premises today, Rahul Gandhi had forcefully pushed an MP, causing a domino effect that injured 2 BJP MPs –Pratap Sarangi (Balasore, Odisha) and Mukesh Rajput (Farrukhabad, UP)” Both the MPs are now hospitalised as they have sustained head injuries. Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan was surprised that the Congress had so far not even bothered to say sorry. “I was wondering what was the purpose of Kharge-Rahul Gandhi’s presser, if they can’t say sorry. Our Nagaland MP, a tribal woman leader Phangnon Konyak had voiced discomfort that was caused to her by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.” She has written a letter to the RS Chairman. Adding further he said, “We feel Rahul simply does not deserve to be the LoP. When the Opposition is holding a protest, we usually take another gate. What was the need for Rahul Gandhi to wade into the area where BJP MPs were standing? He should simply quit as LoP.” BJP MPs including Anurag Thakur and Bansuri Swaraj filed a complaint against Rahul Gandhi at the Parliament Street Police station in connection with the scuffle between Opposition and NDA MPs. It is learnt that security forces repeatedly requested the Congress MP to use an alternative path, specifically arranged for a peaceful entry into Parliament. However, Rahul Gandhi declined the request. BJP’s Thakur said “The kind of attitude Rahul Gandhi has, he thinks he is above the law.” Responding to the allegations, Rahul said BJP MPs were trying to stop him and were threatening him “
Home Minister Amit Shah whose intervention in discussions on the 75th anniversary of the Constitution sparked off a row and seemed to have majorly united the Opposition. Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge charged him of insulting Dr BR Ambedkar.. He accused his rivals of being “anti-Ambedkar” and “anti-Constitution”, and “spreading lies”. In his concluding remarks in the Rajya Sabha, Shah sarcastically said, “It has become the fashion to say ‘Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar…’ If they (the opposition) took God’s name so many times, they will get a place in heaven.” At a Press Conference, he charged the Congress of distorting his comments in the Rajya Sabha saying the Congress had put out an edited version of his speech. “I come from a party which follows the ideals of Ambedkar,” asserted Shah.” Rebuffing calls for his resignation by Kharge, Shah made it clear that he had no intention of stepping down. “Kharge is asking for my resignation. If that will make him feel happy, then I’ll give it. But the Congress has to sit in the opposition for at least 15 more years. “In an unusual move — perhaps underlining the impact of the Opposition’s attack on this issue — PM Modi and senior ministers rallied behind Shah. “If the Congress and its rotten ecosystem think malicious lies can hide their misdeeds of several years, especially their insult towards Dr Ambedkar, they are gravely mistaken!” said PM Modi. Amidst this, PM Modi and Shah met Rahul Gandhi and Kharge to appoint the next NHRC chief. TMC leader Derek O’Brien has moved a privilege notice against Shah in the Rajya Sabha for his remarks on Dr Ambedkar.
Ravichandran Ashwin was adroit in bowling the carom or knuckle ball or the doosra, but on Wednesday afternoon, Brisbane time, the nonconformist off-spinner of 13 years in the big league of the game deployed the “bombshell” to bring an end to his illustrious career. At the conclusion of the rain-marred third Test at the Gabba, the finger spinner with a few sobriquets, “scientist” being the most used among the media, Ashwin sitting beside his beleaguered captain, Rohit Sharma, matter of fact said: Today (Wednesday, December 18) was his last day as an international cricketer across formats and that he will be seen in action in club cricket, meaning IPL etc. The seasoned campaigner, starting his Test career in November 2011, was capped 106 times, and he missed 25 Tests after his debut; he featured in 61 wins, 47@home and 14 overseas. He read the writing on the wall about him losing the primacy as the No 1 spinner of the team in flannels after Washington Sundar was chosen for the first Test in Perth. Then being dropped to bring in Ravindra Jadeja for the third Test in Brisbane convinced him that his time was up…to hang up his boots. The home series against New Zealand that India lost 3-0 was a bitter pill to swallow for him. His numbers — 765 wickets in the three formats, including 537 wickets in Tests alone speaks of his right to be called a legend. It was a bold, practical call to take a bow while not in the field and that was an unhappy part that Indian cricket could not give one of its icons a fitting farewell. Ashwin has perhaps shown the way for a few more to bid adieu, sooner than later! They are over the hill, indeed.
In a quick turn of events, AIADMK supremo Edappadi Palaniswami (EPS) decided not to let the Erode East bypoll to the Tamil Nadu Assembly go without the party contesting, He requested ally GK Vasan of TMC to permit AIADMK to contest. The party will do irrespective of which way the verdict goes in the Supreme Court about the party, symbol etc. The party lawyers are confident of a favourable verdict on January 24 but EPS wishes not to depend on it and is going ahead with his plan to put up a candidate so that he can put O Panneerselvam’s faction in its place. AIADMK is confident that BJP will not disrupt the plan by insisting on a candidate of its own. The AIADMK candidate may be former minister KV Ramalingam of Erode to oppose any candidate Congress may put up as part of the DMK+ alliance. If the court orders don’t favour EPS claiming the party symbol of the “Two Leaves’, the candidate will contest on the “Crowing Cock” symbol that Jayalalithaa had first stood on in her political career. Congress has been asking the stalwart EVKS Elangovan to contest but he would rather point the way to his second son Sanjay as his eyes are set on a Lok Sabha seat in 2024.
Congress MP Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ entered Jammu on January 19 from Punjab for the last leg of his foot march. Significantly, Rahul who has been marching through north India in peak winter wearing just a t-shirt, was for the first time seen in a jacket. It was probably the drizzle in Jammu that forced him to wear the jacket. For 3,400 km during the 125 days journey so far, Rahul Gandhi’s minimal clothing has been a matter of curiosity. The yatra, which resumed from Kathua on Friday (Jan 20) has been given a massive security cover, with both police and paramilitary ring-fencing the Gandhi scion and his co-travellers. Rahul was advised by security agencies to not walk certain stretches in Kashmir. As he entered Jammu, he got a grand welcome, with top Kashmiri leader and National Conference president Farooq Abdullah travelling to Lakhanpur to receive him. Dr Abdullah went overboard, comparing Rahul to spiritual guru Adi Shankaracharya. “Centuries ago Shankaracharya came here. He walked when there were no roads but jungles. He had walked from Kalady (in Kerala) to Kashmir. He (Rahul Gandhi) is the second person who took out a yatra from the same Kanyakumari and is reaching Kashmir. The aim is to unite India.” Rahul’s comparison with Adi Shankaracharya provoked sharp reactions in social media with some suggesting that when Shankaracharya visited Kashmir there was 100% Hindu population.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Thursday (Jan 19) speech in Mumbai was dominated by his direct appeal to the labourers, hawkers and stall-owners, asking them to join the campaign to accelerate Mumbai’s development by bringing in a ‘triple engine’ government. The object of the clarion call was to attract the so-far untapped electors in view of the ensuing Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) towards the BJP and its ally, the Shiv Sena faction led by chief minister Eknath Shinde. Significantly, the word ‘Vikas’ (development) figured 10 times in his 25-minute address at BKC grounds. Modi referred to the downtrodden sections time and again, making it clear that he was looking beyond the traditional vote bank of his party for the next civic election. Modi’s keenness to capture the BMC was evident since his party does not control any of the four metros in the country. The Prime Minister lauded Maharashtra and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and remembered Balasaheb Thackeray. However, NCP leader Sharad Pawar was conspicuous by absence in the speech, which was applauded continuously with ‘Modi Modi’ slogans and drum beats. Modi’s emotional invocation to the working class for support speaks volumes about Mumbai’s changing demography since voting in upper class pockets is usually less while it is higher in blue collar localities.
The bypoll for the Erode East Assembly seat in Tamil Nadu to be held on February 27, will be the first major test of the political waters since the Assembly elections of 2021 won by the DMK under MK Stalin. The DMK+ is in pole position to take the seat and may well give it back to the Congress since its MLA Thiruman Eeveraa, great grandson of EV Periyar, had died mid-term, but the Opposition is in great disarray. AIADMK is not even certain it can put up a candidate officially as the cases between the EPS and OPS factions are still in the courts, in Supreme Court as well as Madras HC and ECI, and the final word on them may not come before the time for nominations arrives. As a matter of abundant caution, AIADMK has approached GK Vasan of TMC towards fielding a candidate again in case EPS, who heads the legally recognised AIADMK thus far, cannot get his candidate authorised to stand as the signatures of both Coordinator and Joint Coordinator may be needed for this. Since a TMC candidate had stood there in 2021, it might seem logical for the AIADMK+ in the State to make over the candidature to that party. EPS may also wish to avoid a showdown with DMK so early when the AIADMK cases are still in court.
While Mumbai and Maharashtra are celebrating Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s arrival in the city on Thursday (Jan 19), the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) has exposed more dissensions. A new tinge to its bickering has been provided by opposition leader Ajit Pawar’s son Parth, who called on senior minister Shambhuraj Desai, a close confidant of chief minister Eknath Shinde. Even before the dust created by rebellion of Congress MLC Sudhir Tambe and his son Satyajeet filing nomination for the legislative council seat in Nashik as an independent, the by-election for a Pune assembly seat is likely to deepen the discord. As MVA has had no candidate in Nashik, It has decided to support Shubhangi Patil, a new Sena (U) entrant. The Congress has suspended the Tambe father-son duo. In Pune, each MVA partner has claimed its right to contest the Kasaba Peth assembly by-election, caused by the demise of BJP MLA Mukta Tilak. Earlier a Congress stronghold, the BJP has been winning the seat since 1995. Still, the Congress has remained at the second position. However, given the changing scenario, NCP and Sena local leaders have started staking their party’s right to the seat in public statements. To add to the muddle, Parth Pawar’s call on Desai has given the BJP a new tool to hit out at the NCP, in particular the Pawar clan.
The CPI(M) Government in Kerala has decided to reward a lateral entrant like former Union Minister KV Thomas who joined its ranks with a plum Delhi posting. Yes, chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan has decided to appoint Thomas as special representative of the state in New Delhi with a cabinet rank. Thomas was a former Union Minister of State (Independent charge) for Food & Civil Supplies in the Manmohan Singh government. A six term Lok Sabha MP and an MLA for two terms, Thomas was expelled from the Congress in May 2022 hours after he shared the stage with the Kerala Chief Minister in a by-poll meeting of the Left party-led front in Kochi. Once close to former Congress President Sonia Gandhi, Thomas was first issued a show-cause notice for breaking party discipline as he attended a seminar organised by the CPM in Kannur, where he reportedly praised CM Pinarayi Vijayan. He was earlier denied permission to attend the meeting. In his reply to the panel, Thomas claimed that he had been the victim of ‘groupism’ of the Kerala unit, and he had been “discriminated against” by party leaders. The Congress had reportedly turned down his bid for candidature in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, 2021 Assembly and Rajya Sabha elections. Since then, he has been cooperating with CPM. Of course in between he did try to explore his options with the BJP.
This year’s Pongal celebrations in Tamil Nadu touched a high point for the government-run TASMAC liquor sales. Sales zoomed to Rs 850 crore in the run-up to Pongal (Jan 15) week and by Kanu Pongal day (Jan 17) it was expected to touch the Rs 1000-crore mark. The bump in sales could be attributed to a cash gift of Rs 2000 given to all ration card holders. Pongal is freebie time and all political parties in Tamil Nadu have been capitalizing on it to the hilt. Both DMK and AIADMK have made freebie gifting, a fine art form. Cycles, fans, mangalsutras, Pongal hampers are bankrolled by the state exchequer. But, Tamil voters are canny, impartial…they vote one party to power, alternately. But wait, there is a savvy, fully end-to-end integrated business model to this freebie. The story goes, when chief minister M K Stalin was asked about cash freebies even as TN is burdened with huge debt, one DMK warhorse quipped, “Don’t worry, by this evening the Rs 2000 freebies will come to TASMAC from our Kudimagans“. Kudimagan has a double meaning – it could mean a citizen or a drunk. PMK Chief Dr S Ramadoss lamented about the high sale of liquor during the Pongal festival. His moral stance, liquor leads to ruination…of health, wealth and family. The very same PMK has climbed on to the alliance bandwagon, alternately to suit their political needs.
West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s emissaries, Didir Doot bear the brunt of misgovernance and corruption during Anchake Anchale module under the party’s massive outreach programme — Didir Suraksha Kawach ahead of Panchayat polls. Under this Anchake Anchale programme 350 state and district-level TMC leaders will be visiting the villages with 15 flagship schemes of the government. The programme which kicked off on January 11 with party MPs and MLAs, state cabinet ministers and prominent leaders spending a day at a gram panchayat were marked by protests from the locals. Party’s state general-secretary Kunal Ghosh faced severe protests in East Midnapore, a stronghold of Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari. Besides Ghosh, state cabinet minister Jyotipriya Mallick, MPs Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, Saugata Roy and Satabdi Roy, senior leader and MLA Tapas Roy, youth wing leaders Debangshu Bhattacharya, Sayantika Banerjee also faced protests. Both Tapas Roy and Saugata Roy received complaints against TMC panchayat pradhans of corruption on the other hand Bhattacharya and Banerjee were stopped from entering a village as no action was taken after villagers had complained of bad roads, lack of supply of drinking water, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna and others. Interestingly, one of the MLAs Biswajit Das was confronted by the agitators for switching camps to BJP during the 2021 election and returning to TMC. Is this move by Didi an attempt to purge the party, amid reports, corruption and scams ahead of 2024 general elections?
In a significant move, Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi clarified that it was “erroneous and far-fetched” to infer that he had suggested changing the name of the state with his recent comments on “Tamizhagam”. In a statement, Ravi sought to end “Tamil Nadu versus Tamizhagam” debate saying that “an interpretation or inference that it was a suggestion to change the name of Tamil Nadu is erroneous and far-fetched”. He said he referred to the word “Tamizhagam” while speaking on the “historical cultural connect between the Tamil people and Kashi”. In those days, there was no Tamil Nadu, he said. “Hence, in the historical cultural context, I referred to the word Tamizhagam as a more appropriate expression,” he said. “Without understanding the basis of my speech, arguments that the Governor is against the word Tamil Nadu have become a topic of discussion. Hence, I am giving this clarification to put an end to it,” he added. It is important to note that the Governor’s clarification came a day after two-day BJP national executive in Delhi and also days after Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai had dubbed the remark as “unnecessary”. He had clarified that controversy over the name change was the “one without any productive outcome”. Clearly, the BJP leadership wants the focus of its work in Tamil Nadu to be on its party unit and state leadership, not on Raj Bhavan.
In a major setback to the Congress, Punjab Congress leader and former finance minister Manpreet Singh Badal quit the party and joined the BJP in the presence of Union Minister Piyush Goyal at BJP headquarters in Delhi. He blamed the top brass for factionalism within the party. In a letter addressed to Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, Manpreet said he was “disillusioned” by the Congress. Manpreet is the first cousin of Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal. With his entry into the BJP, hope of Akali Dal re-entering into a tie-up with the BJP further diminishes. A five-time MLA, Manpreet Badal was the finance minister of the state twice — the nephew of former chief minister and Akali stalwart Parkash Singh Badal, Manpreet served as the finance minister of Punjab both in the Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP government from 2007-11 and in the Captain Amarinder Singh-led Congress government from 2017-22. Manpreet’s continued absence from Bharat Jodo Yatra in Punjab left many party leaders surprised as the Doon School educated Badal was considered very close to Rahul. Congress sources however conceded that Manpreet was forced to dump the party because he did not have cordial relations with PCC chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring. In fact party sources say more leaders could head out because of Warring’s style of functioning.
Preparations on unprecedented scale are underway for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Mumbai visit on Thursday (Jan 19) during which he will flag off multiple projects worth around Rs 39,000 crore. Huge police deployment and major traffic restrictions will mark the seven-hour visit that is aimed at boosting the BJP’s electoral prospects in Maharashtra. Infrastructure will be the focus of the PM’s visit as his schedule is replete with various projects that will be helpful in making average Mumbaikar’s life better. Deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis inspected the various arrangements accompanied by top police and civic officials to ensure that no glitch remains at the last moment. As this will be Modi’s first Mumbai visit after the installation of the Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis government, the BJP will exploit its mileage to the fullest extent with an eye on the BMC elections, due any time now. Strengthening the Metro network in Mumbai will be the highlight of Modi’s visit while various civic projects will also be launched by him. Modi, inter alia, will dedicate to the nation the Mumbai Metro Rail Lines 2A and 7. The commissioning of the two lines will connect Mumbai’s northernmost tip at Dahisar East with D.N. Nagar in Andheri (West) and Gundavali in Andheri East reducing the vehicular traffic load in the Western suburbs. Coincidentally, the foundation stone of the two lines was laid by Modi in 2015.
CPI(M) sees itself as the sole political unit that can combat RSS and BJP ideologically. As the Bengal CPI(M)observes 57th anniversary of its mouthpiece Ganashakti, it has initiated its maiden ‘digitally’ subscription programme for its supporters and sympathisers to donate to the party. Veteran Left leader and Politburo member Prakash Karat on this occasion said that the Left must put forth democratic, secular and Left ideology and vision among people so as to change the political scenario of the country. He further observed that RSS has the unique feature of functioning within the society through its various outfits, socially, culturally, and educationally and Left parties must counter this through their ideology and vision to uphold a democratic and secular environment. Taking a dig at the BJP, the former CPI(M) general secretary said that the minorities in India are being marginalised in the name of nationalism and the country is being run by an extreme right (wing) government. It may be noted that the Left is in power in only Kerala at present, having lost Tripura to the BJP in 2018 and West Bengal to the Trinamool Congress in 2011. The CPI(M) Bengal has released a short video where veteran party leader and Left Front chairman Biman Bose explains the need for going digital.
There were no surprises when Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced that J P Nadda’s tenure as BJP national president was extended. “The tenure of JP Nadda as national president of the BJP has been extended till June 2024. Under JP Nadda’s leadership, we had the highest strike rate in Bihar. The NDA won a majority in Maharashtra, won in Uttar Pradesh, and our numbers increased in West Bengal. We also registered a landslide victory in Gujarat,” said Shah. He also hoped “under the leadership of Modi ji and with Nadda ji, we will win more seats than 2019 in the 2024 polls.” The BJP national executive meet, which extended Nadda’s presidency, will draw a roadmap for the upcoming crucial state polls that will set the tone for 2024 when PM Narendra Modi seeks a third straight term. Nadda started as the BJP working president in 2019 when then party chief Amit Shah became a Union minister. He took up the full-time party presidency on January 20, 2020 and will complete his one term in office next week. His extension as the national president was inevitable as he has a very good working relationship with both Modi and Shah. In an election year, there was no way Modi-Shah could have opted for a new leader when Nadda had ensured carrying PM’s message up to the booth-level.
In the run up to 2024 Lok Sabha polls it is not just Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) who has been proactive in acquiring a national media profile ahead by engaging a media adviser and establishing an office for his Bharatiya Rashtriya Samiti in Delhi to refurbish his image. Taking cue from KCR, is Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal. He may not have got any relief from the court for spending government money on political advertisements in 2015 and has been issued a notice for recovery of Rs 163.62 crore by his own government department. Yet, there is no stopping the AAP supremo from burnishing his profile. On the occasion of Lohri, Makar Sankranti & Pongal, Kejriwal chose to reach out to Delhi-based media from the South, mainly from Tamil Nadu. The media was invited over for a get-together at the Delhi Vidhan Sabha complex. Invites sent out in the name of Speaker Ram Niwas Goel. Reaching out to Tamil media makes sense because of their pockets of influence and votes in the capital.
Odisha-based Sri Sri University is the first University in India to sign MoU as a Knowledge Partner with W20, under the aegis of G20 Presidency of India. Prof Rajita Kulkarni, President at Sri Sri University says “We look forward to working with the W20 team this year across important priority areas like women entrepreneurship, climate change, education and skill development.” W20 is the official G20 engagement group focused on gender equality. Its primary objective is to ensure that gender considerations are mainstreamed into G20 discussions and translated into the G20 Leaders’ Declaration as policies and commitments that foster gender equality and women’s economic empowerment. Envisioned by Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar ji, Sri Sri University which became operational in 2012 blends the best of the East and the West, enabling the holistic development of its students. In a span of 10 years the university is offering different courses in areas of management, architecture, humanities, agriculture, health and wellness, science, literature, osteopathy and performing & fine arts. In 2021 Sri Sri University was ranked 1st in State & Zone, and 8th in India (quantum jump from 26th Rank in 2020) under the category of Best Private Universities and 27th in the category of Top 50 University of Eminence (Deemed & Pvt) by Indian Institutional Ranking Framework.
Word has gone back to the BJP top brass that the ideological confrontations the Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi is getting into are not helping the party’s cause in the State. This is a time when there has been a bit of an upsurge in the party being led by former police officer K Annamalai to take on the Dravidian ruling party. The bit of salience achieved may be at risk if the Governor stays on the warpath on issues like religion and culture, which are very differently viewed in Tamil Nadu, a State known for religious diversity not causing any communal disturbances. The Governor seems to be intent on continuously raking up Sanatana dharma while putting down Tamil culture. It went to such an extent that he even tried to change the title of Tamil Nadu, which has constitutional ratification. This riled the chief minister who was keeping his cool on the issue while advising his party men not to make it personal though he may not have discouraged allies like VCK and even the PMK from taking on the Governor in a more direct manner. Stalin even called him with the disdainful Tamil pronoun of “Oruthan” in describing how “one person” was going around saying not to call the land Tamil Nadu. It would be the national party’s interest not to let this Governor needle the rulers and people of the State any further.
US-based billionaire Darshan Singh Dhaliwal, who was conferred with the ‘Pravasi Bharatiya Samman’ clarified that Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not apologise to him after some media reports claimed that Modi had “apologised” over his deportation from India in 2021 for allegedly supporting the farmers’ protest against the now-repealed three agriculture laws. “Elders never apologise. PM Modi is a man of big stature, and I respect him a lot. He said it’s my big heart that despite once being sent back, I came to India,” Dhaliwal was quoted as saying. He added, “It’s an honour for me to get felicitated with ‘Pravasi Bharatiya Award’…50 years ago people in foreign countries didn’t know about us but now India has become one of the world’s biggest power.” Dhaliwal was deported in October 2021, for allegedly arranging a langar for protesting farmers at Delhi’s borders. His brother is Akali Dal leader Surjit Singh Rakhra. After receiving the honour, Dhaliwal was quoted by the media saying, “PM Modi is really going out of his way to work with the Sikh community, both inside and outside India.” Earlier, Dhaliwal had claimed that Modi told him at a meeting in April 2022 in the presence of Union Minister Hardeep Puri, “Hum se galti ho gayi thi jo humne aap ko wapis bheja, aap ka baddapan hai ki hamare kehne par aap phir aye. He added, “PM Modi met me in front of 150 people at his residence.” The meeting that Dhaliwal was referring to was called ‘Sadbhavana: A Gesture of Goodwill’.
Creating infrastructure in non-BJP ruled states for the Centre is increasingly becoming a hazard as it was discovered on January 12. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was supposed to launch the eighth Vande Bharat train of India from Secunderabad to Visakhapatnam on January 19 but his brief visit had to be temporarily postponed. It has however been made known that the PM will launch the Vande Bharat train virtually on January 15 on the occasion of Makar Sankranti. The news of PM putting off his visit came amid reports that Vande Bharat train was damaged after stones were pelted at its coach in Andhra Pradesh’s Visakhapatnam on January 11. In a repeat of what happened in West Bengal, the incident occurred when the train was going to the maintenance centre at Marripalem. Two glass panes of one of the coaches were damaged in the incident. Besides the train’s launch, the Prime Minister was also scheduled to address a public meeting at the Parade Grounds of Secunderabad. He was also expected to launch various developmental projects. Union Minister of State G Kishan Reddy said the PM would be launching the train at around 10 am on January 15.The train will cover the entire distance in eight hours. The intermediate stops envisaged for the journey include Warangal, Vijayawada, Khammam and Rajahmundry.
The Congress party in Maharashtra is preparing to face a major jolt following the sensational disclosure that former chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh’s two MLA sons, Amit and Dheeraj, are likely to join the BJP. Deshmukh family’s generational foe and former minister, BJP MLA Sambhaji Nilangekar has leaked the possibility out at Latur, their home district. He warned that he would not allow their entry into the party. While Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole has dismissed the likelihood as a rumour, former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan refused to comment on it. State BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule cryptically said, “Wait for the time and the place. The Congress is going to receive a solid blow.” Vilasrao was the face of the Congress party in Marathwada ever since his emergence in state politics in 1980. His rise was very fast with the blessings of another giant S B Chavan, former CM and Union home minister. Vilasrao had challenged the monopoly of veteran Shivajirao Nilangekar in Latur district. Sambhaji is his grandson, who has been engaged in establishing his hold in the district. Shivajirao and Chavan were bitter opponents of each other. For some time, Chavan’s son Ashok, former CM, is facing suspicion in the Congress owing to his absence at some crucial party meetings. At such a juncture, the news about Deshmukh siblings has rattled the Congress.
Business tycoon Gautam Adani’s call on Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Tuesday (Jan 10) and a meeting between Raj and deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis hours later the same night has sent multiple signals as the Adani group is entering various commercial activities around the state. Adani reached ‘Shivteerth’ at Shivaji Park and was closeted with Thackeray for half an hour. For some time, Raj’s wife Sharmila and son Amit were present. Afterwards in the evening, Raj reached ‘Sagar,’ the official residence of Fadnavis. However, both have kept mum about the meetings. Adani has recently won a bid to redevelop Dharavi, the largest slum in perhaps the world. The multi-billion rupee project was held up since the erstwhile Thackeray government had revised the bid terms. The presence of the group in the state has been heatedly discussed since Adani Electricity has sought to enter the power supply sector around Mumbai’s periphery. The matter is under consideration of the Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC). Adani’s political liaisoning in Maharashtra has increased over the past few months. Earlier, he had called on Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar at Baramati. Adani was driven around by Pawar’s grandson, party MLA Rohit Pawar, who is emerging as a formidable player in the state polity. Adani had called on former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, too, recently.
The Congress government in Himachal got a full-fledged Cabinet after a month this week and seven ministers were inducted. In spite of the delay there are many heartburns and interestingly protest statements like a tonsured head have made headlines. These protests are also a warning for party managers. Yes, supporters of two AICC secretaries, including Kangra MLA Sudhir Sharma and Ghurmawin MLA Rajesh Dharmani, have openly expressed their resentment after their names were dropped from the list of Cabinet ministers. “I have shaved off my head in protest against the step-motherly treatment of Rajesh Dharmani. I also appeal to others to protest peacefully. Let us see what Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhuji will do now,” says Ghumarwin Congress leader Subhash Sharma. Names of Sharma and Dharmani figured in the list sent for party high command approval by the CM but their names didn’t make it to the final list. “I am a third time MLA and my constituency falls in Bilaspur, the same area where BJP chief J P Nadda comes from,” says Dharmani. Looks like the party high command may have decided against taking in one more person from Hamirpur — considering both CM and Dy CM belong to the same Lok Sabha constituency. As for Sudhir Sharma, a four-term MLA from Dharamshala and a former minister in Virbhadra government,seems to have lost out because of faction politics.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s scheduled Mumbai tour on January 19 will prove to be a game changer, party rank and file feel since he is expected to make some major announcement during his first visit to the metropolis after the split in the Shiv Sena and the formation of the Shinde-Fadnavis government. According to the PM’s tentative schedule, he will dedicate two Metro routes – 2 A and 7 – to the nation. The state BJP is keen to organise a public meeting to be addressed by Modi but no final decision has been made so far. Another possible event during the visit will be the inauguration of a cancer hospital in Thane, the backyard of chief minister Eknath Shinde. Modi will either go there or open the hospital online; but the modalities are still being worked out. The Mumbai and state BJP units are in an upbeat mood since they are determined to win the first public test through the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) election, likely to happen any time soon. The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi constituents are still looking in different directions but efforts are on to face the hustings together. Eknath Shinde and deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis are scheduled to visit Davos on January 15-19 to attend the World Economic Forum. However, if the PM confirms his plans to be in Mumbai, they will rework the schedule, according to party leaders.
War may have been declared on the Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi, but the Chief Minister MK Stalin is not saying it. He had a word of caution for his MLAs the day after the theatrical events of the first Assembly session of the year in which the Governor skipped portions of his address prepared by the government and added a few things of his own. Stalin warned his MLAs about there being a conduct code for them and that they are also bound by the whip in the Assembly. “Don’t make it personal,” he cautioned. It will be DMK’s allies who will be taking on a brunt of the campaign against the Governor who has not endeared himself to Tamil Nadu by suggesting that the State be named “Tamizhagam”, maybe because the “Nadu” (country or place) in Tamil Nadu may be suggestive of a land seeking autonomy or independence. The issue itself could be quite silly as the DMK had shed its call for breaking away from the Union of India almost 60 years ago, in the wake of the China war of 1962. There were demos by students as well as DMK’s political allies and posters reading “Get Out Ravi”. Stalin would like to keep it to protest in formal channels rather than take it to the public as the appointment of a Governor is at the President’s pleasure.
Seemingly overwhelmed by rigours of Bharat Jodo Yatra Congress leader Rahul Gandhi indulged in a bit of self-praise and succumbed to describing India as “land of tapasvis” and not ‘poojaris’ and how the Congress believes in ‘tapasya’, while the BJP was an organization of ‘pooja and pujaris’. Short of describing himself as a tapasvi, he went on to say how “BJP-RSS forced people to worship them” adding” India is a country of ‘tapasvis’ (ascetics) and not ‘pujaris’ (priests).” Rahul’s statement naturally irked several priests. Ujjwal Pandit of Yuva Teerth Purohit Mahasabha alleged that Rahul had insulted India’s ancient cultural traditions in which priests have played a central role. It was clear that the Congress leader wore ‘janeu’ (holy thread) and tilak on his head for show, he alleged in a statement. Swami Dipankar noted that the Gandhi scion had described his yatra as his “mohabbat ki dukan” (place for love), but was now talking about “hate”. Should priests be then thrown into the sea, he asked. At some places, including Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh, priests carried out protests and burnt Rahul’s effigies. In the temple town of Deoghar in Jharkhand, priests demanded an apology from the Congress leader for insulting their tradition. RSS ideologue Ratan Sharda found it odd that Rahul Gandhi found his yatris to be tapasvis. He said foremost tapasvis that the nation has known are Swami Vivekananda and Mahatma Gandhi.
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar’s two grandsons fought out an election to the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA), despite his efforts to bring them on the same page. The keen contest resulted in the victory of party MLA Rohit Pawar as MCA president. The loser, Abhishek Boke, is a grandson of Pawar’s sister while Rohit is a grandson of his elder brother, the late Appasaheb Pawar. MCA has been under Sharad Pawar’s control for decades. However, he took little interest in the MCA affairs though it has been operating from his home base, Pune. Initially it was handled by the late Dnyaneshwar Agashe and subsequently by Ajay Shirke. However, Pawar kept away from the MCA. Ever since the MCA election was announced, the atmosphere has been politically surcharged. Opposition leader Ajit Pawar was approached in a bid to arrive at a settlement so that the election could become unopposed. Ajit convened a meeting of about 40 voters but the efforts came to a naught as Boke declined to withdraw even after receiving suggestions to do so. Finally, polling was held on Sunday (Jan 8) and results announced late in the night. Several other members of the MCA body owe allegiance to the NCP as well.
Tamil Nadu‘s Tenkasi district is seeing huge demand for donkey’s milk by rural folks. Donkey’s milk? That smirk and guffaw with epithets of ‘gadha’, will soon be replaced by incredulousness. While city folks are protesting at Rs 2 increase per litre of Mother Dairy or Aavin Milk, the villagers are ready to fork out Rs 100 per 50 ml or Rs 2,000 per litre of fresh donkey milk to build immunity especially in infants and ward off other ailments. Who knows the next unicorn or IPO may well be from this remote area in Tenkasi if some enterprising donkey aggregator decides to set up a world class plant to process and peddle this much sought after milk and get GI Tag too. The global market value for donkey’s milk stood at $ 23.2 mn in 2021, expected to grow at a CAGR of 9%by 2028. This faith in the efficacy of fresh donkey milk may gain currency like curcumin turmeric latte, tulsi tea, neem oil and coconut products. Donkey owners in Tenaksi have their own logistics and promos for fresh donkey milk, with megaphone announcements. An enterprising breeder, brings his herd to the spot, on fixed days in a truck and rurals line up with conch shells or even silver cups. Looks like it’s big money at the bottom of the pyramid.
The Maharashtra government has been presented with a bizarre demand by its employees’ organisation, which says that the identity of the officials caught red-handed while accepting bribes should be kept confidential until the case against them has been finally decided by the court of law. In a petition submitted by the organisation to chief minister Eknath Shinde, the reasoning behind the demand has been explained unreservedly. It says that government officials are under the scanner of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) and caught often. After the action, their pictures and other information is provided by the ACB to the media. However, this needs to stop as the official is defamed even before judicial conviction, the organisation has complained. The petition has pointed out that in many cases, such officials are exonerated by courts. This has happened time and again. However, in the intervening period, the official and his or her family are subjected to infamy and social consequences. “Therefore, it is our demand that till the moment the official concerned is convicted by court, his or her picture or identity should not be disclosed,” the petition has stated. The most corrupt arm of the government is the revenue department Maharashtra; the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is the most corrupt civic body while Pune is the most corrupt district in the state, according to various findings.
Shiv Sena (Shinde) group’s MLA Yogesh Kadam’s survival in a major road accident has flabbergasted political circles in Maharashtra as he is the third MLA to suffer such a highway mishap in a matter of a month. The first to be injured in such a smash-up was BJP MLA Jaykumar Gore. He was followed by controversial NCP MLA Dhananjay Munde. Both were immediately hospitalised and are recovering. Kadam is not hurt though his car driver and a police constable deployed for his protection have sustained minor bruises. All three MLAs were coming towards Mumbai. Kadam’s father, Ramdas, is a veteran Sena leader who has joined the camp of chief minister Eknath Shinde. A former minister, Ramadas has been a bitter critic of Uddhav Thackeray. His son Yogesh was elected to the assembly from Dapoli, an important tourist destination in the Konkan region, in 2019 on a Sena (Uddhav) ticket. Later, he deserted the organisation and started facing local opposition from the rival camp. Yogesh Kadam’s car was banged by a dumper on the Mumbai-Goa highway even though it was between two police vehicles escorting the MLA. The rear portion of the car has been badly damaged. Yogesh Kadam has raised grave suspicions about the incident, given the police cover under which he was travelling. He has decided to demand a thorough enquiry into the disaster.
It is not often that Stalin gets worked up so much about religion that he must lash out at those eternally projecting his party as anti-religion. Provoked by a series of comments including the latest round of loaded political words from the feisty Governor RN Ravi, chief Minister M K Stalin came out in voluble defence of how his party is not anti-Hindu as the opposition makes it out to be. He emphasised at yet another function hosted by the HR&CE, this one to announce Rs 2 lakh support to each of 2,500 small temples in rural areas, that his government was committed to protecting the temples as they exemplified the State’s art and culture and stood as witness to traditional expertise and talent in sculpture making and art. He said he had attended as many as 25 events connected to temples in a year and presided over grants that benefited nearly four lakh people. Regardless of his personal faith in God or lack of it, Stalin has always maintained that his party is for all religions and that the only reform they aim at is social equality by which temples must be made to accept that priests can be from any community. This was also part of the Dravidian Model, he pointed out in the course of a stout defence of Dravidian beliefs.
Virudhunagar Lok Sabha MP and AICC secretary Manickam Tagore suffered a personal setback in the beginning of the year as he was relieved of Telangana charge. This was following revolt by Telangana Congress leaders who had protested against his style of functioning and backing PCC chief A Revanth Reddy to the hilt. Though Telangana leaders basically were targeting Reddy for his pro TRS approach and soft-pedalling issues against Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, they wanted Tagore out of the AICC for encouraging the rot. “Before Revanth Reddy we used to only lose elections, but after he took over we began forfeiting deposits,” said a leader. Pointing to the rot he cited how former Chennur MLA Nallala Odelu and his wife Nallala Bhagyalakshmi, who is the Mancherial ZP chairperson, had rejoined the TRS in October citing factionalism within the Congress. Both had quit the TRS and joined the Congress in May last year in the presence of Priyanka Gandhi. In the face of Telangana backlash, Congress high command shifted Tagore to Goa. The Goa assignment is an unenviable one as it comes at a time when the party has just three elected MLAs left. Of these, one may join BJP. Tagore replaced Dinesh Gundu Rao as Goa in charge amidst reports that the party chose to replace Rao following ongoing fight between Karnataka and Goa over diversion of Mhadei river water.
On January 5, DMK MP Kanimozhi turned 55 and the road to her Chennai residence was jam packed with birthday greeters and revelers indicating she is a force to reckon with in Tamil Nadu politics. The whole neighbourhood was festooned with DMK flags. Late Kalaignar’s favourite child Kanimozhi is chief minister M K Stalin’s half-sister. What is even more evident as she led a big crowd to her father’s resting place on the Marina beach was that she no longer appeared to be that tentative, hesitant and defensive politician who was incarcerated in the 2 G scam. Kani has parachuted out of that crisis, to become a significant power centre. Potential for an alternative to the first family’s dynastic culture, Kani was made deputy treasurer of DMK, a sop to keep her content against the rising son, claim party wags. Stalin’s son Udhayanidhi’s confrontational attitude towards his aunt has changed too, maybe in the interests of warding off rebellion. The DMK behemoth built by cadres and functionaries is definitely chafing at the dynastic moves. A recently charge-sheeted Youtuber and journalist voiced scathing opinions when comparing Udhayanidhi and Kani in terms of capability, political savvy and experience, groomed as she is by none other than Kalaignar. Suddenly, whispers are getting loud and overt. What if BJP uses her as a Trojan and a deserving family claimant to TN throne?
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar has linked the flight of industry from Maharashtra with the increasing number of young men remaining unmarried in the state. Addressing a NCP function in Pune, Pawar said industrial units from the state were shifted outside while new industries wishing to start in the state were refused facilities and concessions. Consequently, unemployment was on the increase in Maharashtra, leading to many young men remaining single since they could not get married. Pawar’s observation has come against the backdrop of public protests by young men in a couple of districts of Maharashtra on account of their unemployment and the resultant lack of prospective brides coming their way. In Solapur district, youngsters had, Pawar said, the double-engine government at the Centre and in Maharashtra had been pursuing the same policy of leaving the populace to fend for itself despite rising prices. Tall claims and exaggerated promises were made by the ruling party before coming to power. However, as it is not possible to implement them, caste and religion are used for creating enmity in society, he alleged. Taking a dig at Pawar’s observation, BJP MLA Atul Bhatkhalkar said, “Sir, what you say is correct. Many unemployed men like Rahul (Gandhi) and Aaditya (Thackeray) can be cited as the best example to support your analysis.
Vande Bharat Express is nothing but an old train refurbished with a new engine declared West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee amid reports of Vande Bharat train being attacked by stones on the newly inaugurated Howrah-New Jalpaiguri route. While the first incident happened near Malda, the second also occurred in the state. However, dismissing the claims about the attack, Banerjee said the incidents occurred in Bihar and not West Bengal and said actions will be taken against those spreading rumours. PM Narendra Modi flagged off Vande Bharat Express on December 30. The BJP did not take kindly to Mamata’s running down the concept of Vande Bharat itself. Party co-in charge for Bengal Amit Malviya felt from Mamata’s comments it was “abundantly clear that Vande Bharat was targeted on Mamata Banerjee’s instruction. She is both, incompetent and jealous of the Modi Government working for the state”. He went on to point out that Didi had refused to go on dais at the time of launch not because of Jai Shree Ram slogans. “The problem was never slogans of Jai Shree Ram but BJP taking a lead to improve lives of people. What a disgrace she is!” The blue-and-white train, meant to be the gateway to the northeast, covers a distance of 564 km between Howrah and New Jalpaiguri in 7.45 hours thus reducing travel time by three hours.
Keeping a hawk’s eye on upcoming panchayat polls, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee has launched her maiden extensive digital campaign – ‘Didir Suraksha Kavach’ through Didir Doot’ (party cadres). The public outreach comes at a time when Didi’s party and government are battling scams including the recent protests at the panchayat level over irregularities in the allocation of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, teachers’ recruitment. During the launch of the programme Didi said that this will be a medium where 3.5 lakh party leaders would reach every block and cover 2 crore families in 60 days, with workers staying in villages to understand the problems faced by locals. They will be also promoting 15 welfare schemes, covering various sectors such as food, housing, health, education, social security, income and employment through the newly developed app under the same name. Most importantly, post Lok Sabha Polls 2019 debacle where Didi lost several of LS seats to BJP, the saffron party launched an initiative called ‘Didi ke Balo’ which primarily opened the pandora’s box of the issues such as “cut money” and “syndicate raj”. According to party insiders, over 3343 gram panchayats are there in Bengal, but this new launch is not only eyeing the rural polls but also at the Lok Sabha Polls 2024. However, political analysts said that Didi has sent a strong message to party functionaries and leaders accused of corruption.
The Congress may not have lifted its little finger for Ram Temple in Ayodhya but it has lost no time in flaunting a letter of blessing it has received from Ayodhya temple chief priest. A day before Rahul Gandhi’s Yatra entered UP, Ram Temple chief priest Acharya Satyendra Das stirred the political pot by wishing the Congress leader success in the yatra, good health and long life. Das had handed over a letter to the local Congress leader of Ayodhya Gaurav Tiwari. Tiwari said he had taken the letters of invitation for the yatra to many temples and saints in Ayodhya, who gave their blessings in return. A similar letter was also sent to Acharya Satyendra Das who said he wanted to write a letter in reply. “He had also written that the blessings of Lord Ram would always be upon Rahulji”. As the Congress’ foot march entered UP, the letter’s contents were proudly shared by Congress twitter handles. But then the letter from the Ayodhya priest has warmed up a section in the Congress which always wanted the leadership to deliberate issues of interest to Hindus– something that was denied to them even at Udaipur chintan shivir. “It is significant that the Ayodhya temple priest has blessed the yatra and Rahulji…sants and sadhus should feel free, and not be tied to any political party,” said Acharya Pramod Krishnam, a close aide of Priyanka Gandhi.
Opposition leader Ajit Pawar’s claim that a BJP ‘mastermind’ was behind the statewide agitation against him is the hot political topic now. His comment that “Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj was Swarajya Rakshak and not Dharmaveer” is the focus of a BJP statewide agitation for the past three days. Pawar alleged at a media conference that the agitation was engineered by the BJP. “When I was speaking in the house, their mastermind was not present. Still, the protests against me are according to a plan.” Pawar claimed that various BJP leaders had been calling him up to tell that they were instructed to protest against him and send the clips to the party office. “Burn the picture of Ajit Pawar, hit it with shoes” they were instructed, he said. Certain names are being mentioned to pinpoint the so-called mastermind. Pawar’s assertion that he has been elected to the opposition leader’s post by NCP MLAs is also being debated since no major decision in that party is taken without the consent of NCP chief Sharad Pawar. Pawar has been facing criticism that his stand vis a vis the Shinde-Fadnavis government is ‘mild.’ His detractors point out that he did not condemn the government when state NCP president Jayant Patil was suspended from the lower house. Pawar had invited snide remarks for not signing a no-confidence motion against assembly speaker Rahul Narvekar.
There has been a burning ambition in Kamal Haasan (named Parthasarathy Srinivasan at birth) to be counted as a force in politics. None in Tamil Nadu may ever come close to MGR and his protégé J Jayalalithaa in terms of switching from films to politics and capturing the hearts of the people. When Kamal stepped in, it was with a view to making an impact in politics. Little did he know then that he would be a bigger flop than even the thespian Sivaji Ganesan. To Kamal’s credit, he is not giving up. His journey to the Bharat Jodo Yatra was to cement his place in the DMK-Rahul equation while abandoning his old association with Arvind Kejriwal when he was a political novitiate. The DMK is looking for a broader alliance to take on the AIADMK-BJP front that is the main opposition in Tamil Nadu and towards this would like to invite the likes of Kamal Haasan and even the caste-based PMK to join a broad-based alliance for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Kamal’s consorting with Rahul Gandhi has enhanced his image and Chief Minister MK Stalin is known to be a fervent admirer. Voters may not understand Kamal’s politics, but their votes will be his if he stands with DMK support in his chosen western Tamil Nadu base of Coimbatore.
Small screen actor Urfi Javed’s attire is among the latest political battles being fought in Maharashtra. Charges are hurled against each other by women leaders from the opposing sides. Urfi, too, has jumped into the fray. BJP’s Maharashtra Mahila Morcha (Women’s Front) chief Chitra Wagh has warned Urfi that the actress would be dealt with severely if she continues to offend ‘sensibilities of Maharashtra’ by appearing in public in objectionable attire. Shiv Sena (Uddhav) firebrand deputy leader Sushama Andhare has questioned Wagh’s right to order anyone about what to wear or not. Urfi has charged that Wagh was at the forefront of a campaign to demand the resignation of then minister Sanjay Rathod in connection with a woman’s death. However, Wagh has been silent since the Shinde-Fadnavis government was formed and Rathod included in it, Urfi has said. Ridiculing Wagh, she said, “Even I am going to join the BJP. Then Wagh will be friends with me.” Wagh says there is no reason to object to anyone’s dressing up to meet the needs of a job or profession. However, it is necessary to be socially conscious while appearing in public. Andhare has demanded to know why there is silence on a statement by Baba Ramdev, who had said at a public function in Thane that women look good even when not wearing anything.
For whatever reason senior Congress leader and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath kick-started this whole issue of projecting Rahul Gandhi as the Opposition’s PM candidate for the Lok Sabha elections in 2024. The cacophony over this mindless campaign is already said to have put the Congress’ efforts to win Karnataka assembly elections in a tailspin. That is because news of a 2024 prime ministerial candidate from the Congress side for the Opposition side has already left Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge unenthused. He was gearing up for the assembly polls, hoping if he clinched Karnataka he would be rewarded with something higher — projected as PM candidate for 2024. Now that seems to have gone out of his reach. Nath’s praises for Rahul on leading the Bharat Jodo Yatra, saying “He is not doing politics for power but for the betterment of the common people of the country”, has simply stunned those backing Kharge. Not only Nath, even Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel rooted for Rahul. Even an ambitious Bihar CM Nitish Kumar has said that he doesn’t have any problem with Rahul’s candidature. The only cautious response came from Jairam Ramesh who made it clear that “the question of who will emerge as PM will be decided by election outcomes. Election of the PM can’t be treated as a beauty contest. Contests in India happen between political parties.” He admitted the yatra had strengthened the Congress.
By all indications, it looks like this year’s Union Budget will be tabled in the present Parliament House. The new Parliament building is likely to be inaugurated in March, when the House reconvenes for the second part of the Budget Session. Officials say work was going on in full swing on the Parliament building and was expected to be completed by February. PM Narendra Modi had performed the Bhoomi Poojan and foundation stone laying ceremony of the new Parliament House in December 2020. He is known to be closely monitoring progressing work on the building via drones. While inaugurating a drone festival in Delhi last year, Modi had emphasised on the use and importance of drones in governance. He had spoken about how the drones have been useful for him in conducting “surprise inspections of development work across the country”. The design of the Lok Sabha Hall in the new Parliament House is such that a joint session can be held there easily. The new Lok Sabha Hall will seat 1,272 people and it will have no Central Hall. The new Parliament House will have a seating arrangement of 888 MPs in the Lok Sabha. The current Lok Sabha has a seating capacity of only 552 MPs. Thus, when the number of MPs will increase in the coming years, there will be no problem.
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar’s controversial observation about Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj appears to have caught the opposition in Maharashtra on a wrong foot since most of its prominent leaders have preferred to distance themselves from the furore so far. Deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis along with several BJP leaders, chief minister Eknath Shinde and Chhatrapati’s descendant, former MP Raje Sambhaji, is among those who have come against Pawar in strong terms. Fadnavis said Chhatrapati Sambhaji had protected nationalism and Hinduism. Despite Aurangazeb’s torture, Chhatrapati Sambhaji refused to convert and sacrificed his own life for Hindutva, Fadnavis said. Chhatrapati Sambhaji, son of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, was a ‘protector of freedom’ (Swarajya Rakshak) and not ‘a protector of religion’ (Dharma Rakshak), Pawar had said in the state assembly. The comment handed a powerful tool to the BJP while many in NCP are finding it inconvenient to express either way. The Shiv Sena (Uddhav) and the Congress also have kept themselves away from the controversy so far. In Pawar’s hometown Baramati, BJP protestors burned his effigy on Monday while demanding his immediate resignation as leader of the opposition. Police deployment around his bungalow, ‘Sahayog’ has been beefed up. Hindu Mahasangh leader Anand Dave has reminded Pawar that he had referred to Chhatrapati Sambhaji as ‘Dharmaveer’ and asked for his changed stand after losing power.
The hawkers in Mumbai are facing a strange dilemma. On the one hand, the government is wooing them by literally calling them to take bank loans of Rs 10,000 under the Pradhan Mantri Swa-Nidhi Yojana for self-employed professionals. Perceived as a strategy to woo the mainly North Indian hawkers’ community by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the wake of forthcoming Mumbai’s civic elections, the rules for domicile certification were recently withdrawn to widen the base of hawkers benefit from it. At the same time, hawkers continue to also face eviction from the streets of Mumbai. “It’s a strange situation. On the one hand, those 17,000 hawkers enlisted in the 2014 hawkers survey, receive calls from local ward offices to fill forms and take loans. But, while we get loans, we also continue to face evictions. Not yet being issued hawking licenses means that loans serve as no guarantee of livelihoods for us. How do we repay loans if we don’t hawk on the streets?” asks Jai Shankar Singh, general secretary of the Azad Hawkers Union. The BMC is forced to solicit hawkers for loans as civic officials were given an initial target to approve loans for one lakh hawkers. However, mid-way through their targets were doubled to two lakh hawkers till March 2023. So far the BMC has managed to approve loans for 92,000 hawkers.
BJP’s former MP Kirit Somaiya has threatened to refocus his guns against prominent leaders of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) in 2023. Somaiya has tweeted the names of the leaders on his radar. They belong to the Shiv Sena (Uddhav), the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). He had created a political storm in 2022 by repeatedly levelling serious allegations against many MVA top votaries about their real estate deals. The most prominent leader to face Somaiya’s attack will be former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray and his wife. They own 19 bungalows in neighbouring Raigad district, he has been telling the media. Uddhav’s right hand and former minister Anil Parab’s Sai Resort in Dapoli taluka of Ratnagiri district has been in the news concerning Somaiya’s complaint that it has been developed disregarding various regulations. NCP leader and former minister Hasan Mushrif as well as Congress MLA and former minister Aslam Khan owns 49 filming studios in Mumbai’s Malwani area, according to Somiaya. Some of the structures are under the BMC lens. Former mayor Kishori Pednekar allegedly acquired a few Slum Rehabilitation scheme flats in central Mumbai, Somaiya has said. An enquiry by the BMC in this regard is underway. Large scale emergency purchases by the BMC during the Covid pandemic also figure in Somaiya’s hit list. In his tweet, he has warned, “Ghotalon ka hisab pura karenge” (Shall settle the score about frauds).
The recent meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP national president JP Nadda, Bengal Observer Sunil Bhansal, Amit Malviya and others with the Bengal BJP unit in New Delhi was nothing less than a clear revolt on the part of state leaders against the top three functionaries. Party sources said that several MPs and MLAs have directly blamed the factionalism and dictatorship of top three leaders — National Vice President Dilip Ghosh, Bengal President Sukanta Majumdar and Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari. They have also briefed that if the situation continues that state BJP will fail to retain the Lok Sabha seats in 2024 Lok Sabha Polls. It was reported that one of the MPs has cited that there is no coordination between the MPs and MLAs. On several occasions party leaders are openly giving statements against each other. The leaders have also informed Nadda that the state unit will not be able to put up candidates in several gram panchayats. Hence they have also suggested that it would be advisable to support those candidates who would be opposing Trinamool Congress candidates. Besides this, BJP leaders are also mulling the idea that those winning on other party symbols at panchayats, panchayat samitis and zilla parishads could be given the option of switching camps. Several MPs have also given proposals to contest rural polls as independent candidates.
The Shiv Sena (Uddhav) has mounted a blistering attack against the Modi and Shinde-Fadnavis governments while complimenting the judiciary ‘for foiling the attempts to oppress.’ The party has indicated that it will continue to take on the government in 2023. This is viewed as an attempt by Uddhav to recharge the party organisation for the coming combat, which will be fought politically and judicially. Also, it aims to blunt the various statements made by chief minister Eknath Shinde and deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis at the conclusion of the state legislature’s winter session in Nagpur on Friday (Dec 30). Both had criticised Uddhav. He attended this important two-week session for just 46 minutes, Fadanvis had taunted. Sena mouthpiece ‘Saamana,’ under its MP Sanjay Raut, has alleged in its Saturday (Dec 31) editorial that democratic values had been murdered in the year by intimidating government’s critics. The change of government in Maharashtra has been engineered illegally and unconstitutionally, it has remarked. Shinde and Fadnavis had charged in their assembly speeches that the Maha Vikas Aghadi government under Uddhav had hatched conspiracies to implicate them and other Shinde-faction and BJP leaders so as to throw them behind bars. “That is the reason we walked out,” Shinde had disclosed. Fadnavis had revealed that a DGP-level police official had been entrusted with the responsibility to jail him. The Sena will become more aggressive, the party has signaled.
Looks like BJP is permanently on election mode and focussing on states where they have no big numbers. A case in point is Tamil Nadu. Recently, BJP President J P Nadda was on a two-day visit to Coimbatore along with Tamil Nadu’s top BJP leaders. Addressing a public meeting Nadda spared no punches. He asked the large crowd, “What does DMK stand for”? And then went on to decode it by saying “D is for dynasty, the first family of DMK. M is for Money. And K is for Katta Panchayat “. Katta Panchayat refers to winning battles and quelling revolt by strong arm politics through Kangaroo Courts. While BJP and Modi focussed only on the national good, DMK functioned only for the first family. The country is thus in safe hands, while TN is not in safe hands. Modi is for real Bharat unity whereas DMK and its ally, the Congress now busy walking for Bharat unity, have regularly trotted out the separatist slogan for revolt. It’s a moot point whether this direct didactic would shake 60-odd years of Dravidam complacency? Post his speech Nadda drove to Isha Foundation run by spiritual guru Jaggi Vasudev who is currently mired in a controversy with environmentalists. Was Nadda’s overnight stay at Esha, a signal that BJP is putting its might behind the spiritual guru?
Prime Minister Narendra Modi informed the nation via a tweet about the sad demise of his mother Heeraben: “A glorious century rests at the feet of God…“ Within an hour of her cremation, PM Modi was back at work virtually from Raj Bhavan in Ahmedabad. Yes, the dedicated karmayogi was attending to all his official duties such as flagging off a metro from Kolkata to New Jalpaiguri, and chairing the second meeting of the National Ganga Council meeting in Kolkata via video conferencing. The meeting was attended by the Union Minister for Jal Shakti, and other Union Ministers who are members of the council besides the CMs of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and West Bengal. Bihar was represented by Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav. Presciently, in a blogpost on Heeraben’s 100th birthday this June, Modi shared a glimpse of his bond with his mother and about how she never accompanied him for any government or public programme. “She has accompanied me on only two occasions in the past. Once, it was at a public function in Ahmedabad when she applied tilak on my forehead after I had returned from Srinagar where I had hoisted the national flag at Lal Chowk completing the Ekta Yatra led by Dr Murli Manohar Joshi. That was an extremely emotional moment for my mother because a few people had died in a terror attack in Phagwara at the time of the Ekta Yatra. She became extremely worried at that time.”
High drama prevailed at Howrah Station as a visibly annoyed West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee refused to come on stage from where the Vande Bharat express was being virtually flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, following “Jai Shri Ram” chants by the BJP supporters present at the spot. Incidentally, both Bengal governor C V Ananda Bose and railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw requested her to join them on the stage. In a way, the controversy helped Didi not to share the stage with Suvendu Adhikari, her one-time aide. While Bengal cabinet minister Firhad Hakim and Trinamool Congress spokesperson Kunal Ghosh termed this as misbehaviour and a purposeful act of insult to the state’s chief minister. Besides, Vande Bharat, PM also flagged off the inter-city metro service connecting the southern fringes of Kolkata. However, Mamata made it clear to PM Modi that not only Joka-Esplanade Metro services, but four out of five inaugurated projects were also her brainchild during her stint as Railway minister. Didi categorically voiced that her dream project – the Taratala to Joka Metro, which she laid the foundation stone with erstwhile President Pratibha Patil got inaugurated also. She also reminded that several project proposals during her tenure as Railway minister are now seeing the light of day. Adding to this, Bengal chief minister said that she was the one who earmarked 50 world-class stations across the country.
Differences within the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) have come to the fore after a no-confidence motion against Maharashtra assembly speaker Rahul Narvekar has been submitted by MVA without the signature of opposition leader, NCP’s Ajit Pawar. Notice of the motion was given to the legislature secretariat on Thursday (Dec 29) with signatures of 39 MLAs belonging to the Shiv Sena (Uddhav), the NCP and the Congress. However, the absence of Pawar’s endorsement was noticed on the ultimate day of the state legislature’s winter session in Nagpur. Pawar said on Friday that he was not aware of the notice being sent to the legislature. Moreover, he was sceptical if the notice would fulfil legality. Narvekar was elected in July this year. Rules provide that at least a year has to elapse before any new motion can be brought about by the speaker. Sena MP Sanjay Raut glossed over the absence of Pawar’s signature by replying to a question that he was not aware if Pawar had signed the notice or not. However, former minister Bhaskar Jadhav said it was not imperative that every opposition member sign the notice. “Our unity will be seen when the matter comes up in the house,” he stated. As a no-trust motion against the speaker needs at least 14 days’ notice, it could come up only in the next session of the legislature, according to experts.
It is not unusual for estranged foes in politics to bond over death and bereavement. It may seem a bit odd but Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin has decided to visit Delhi to personally convey his condolences to PM Modi on his mother Heeraben passing away. This may certainly come as a surprise to many but apparently Stalin recalled how Modi had visited him when his father M Karunanidhi was seriously ill. Stalin is taking an evening flight today (Dec 30) to Delhi. Similarly, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee who was miffed by Jai Shri Ram sloganeering at the metro inaugural function, went out of her way to offer an emotional condolence to PM Modi over his mother’s death. Significantly, Modi had virtually flagged off the Vande Bharat express connecting Howrah and New Jalpaiguri, just an hour after cremating his mother. Just before the inauguration, Mamata said, “Respected PM, today it’s a sad day and great loss to you. I pray to god, may God give you strength. I convey my gratitude to you that you were supposed to come to West Bengal but because of the demise of your mother you couldn’t come but joined virtually. On behalf of the people of West Bengal, I thank you so much for giving us this opportunity. It’s a sad day for you. Your mother means our mother also….”
Senior Congress leader AK Antony is one man who is averse to stirring any controversy and found himself in the middle of one. Speaking his mind on the Congress Foundation Day, he urged party strategists to make efforts to win back Hindu voters at least for winning the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. It was failure to mobilise the Hindu votes adequately that had led the Congress-led UDF to flounder in 2021 Kerala assembly polls. “The Congress should bring together the majority and minority if it wants to defeat the BJP”, he declared. He also added that the majority of the people in India are Hindus, and this community should be marshalled in the “fight against Narendra Modi”. Reacting to Antony’s speech, BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi recalled how this former Defence Minister who was asked by his party to prepare a report on its 2014 defeat had similarly blamed the Congress rout for its pro Muslim bias. “It just shows that Congress indulges in such theatrics to get support of Hindus and once it gets Hindu votes it dubs them as terrorists or as Pakistani, Talibani or Boko Haram.” He felt that just to come to power, leaders like Salman Khurshid would even call Rahul Gandhi “Lord Ram”. Meanwhile, Khurshid stoked more controversy by asserting that “main Congress leaders were from Gandhi family and Kharge ji was our national president”.
TRENDS & VIEWS
Editor’s Note: Big Punch In Small Pack
It is the Third Anniversary of Short Post and as a news media startup launched during the Covid-19 pandemic it certainly feels better than good to find ourselves where we are today. Here, I must cite the unstinted support of our seasoned contributors, all senior editors in the country, who brought a great degree of maturity and sagacity to the Short Post newsroom. But for them, our tagline “Authentic Gossip”, an Oxymoron, would not have matured viably. Our user numbers may be small but our stories have created the desired impact among people who matter — decision makers and influencers. We offer a big punch in a small pack and Short Post with its 225-word stories has been punching above its weight category. Having posted close to 3,000 stories in the last 36 months, Short Post, I feel, is an idea whose time has come.
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If you look at the media landscape – print, TV and digital — it is a mixed bag. There are job losses as some outfits have closed down while a lucky few were bailed out by large corporate houses. Yes, there is a lot of action in the digital space. However, the entry of corporate houses has raised the question of independence of news media outfits. Sadly, there are just a handful of independent media outfits in the country that are highly respected for their neutrality. At Short Post, our credo is not to take sides, prejudge issues or be biased but, informing readers of behind-the-scenes happenings. In essence, Short Post strives to be a neutral editorial platform — neither anti-establishment nor pro-establishment.
As I said last year, disruptions in the media world are moving at a fast and furious pace. Technology is playing a very big role in how content is generated and consumed. But, we are neither alarmed nor perturbed as it is all a part of the evolution process. What gives us comfort is that AI is unable to create original gossipy content. And that is the news arena where we have achieved a distinction.