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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.
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.
The National Law University in Delhi was established in 2008 under the National Law University Act, 2007 with the objective of imparting comprehensive and inter-disciplinary legal education. Project 39 is inspired by Article 39-A of the Indian Constitution, a provision that furthers the intertwined values of equal justice and equal opportunity by removing economic and social barriers. It holds annual lectures under Project 39. The 5th Annual Project 39 lecture was supposed to be held at the Asian College of Journalism (ACJ) in Chennai. ACJ is part of The Hindu Group of publications. The speaker this time around is A G Perarivalan, a death row prisoner in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case. Fifty-year old Perarivalan, arrested in 1991, is now out of prison under an order from the Supreme Court. But the decision of ACJ to provide its space for hosting the lecture drew flak from varied quarters. Assorted questions were raised over the ACJ accommodation for this particular lecture programme of Perarivalan. In the wake of rising opposition, the organisers have decided to turn this into an online lecture. The title of the lecture is “Denial of Justice and A Quest Unfinished”. Asserting their commitment to Perarivalan to share his experience in the prison, the organisers said that they were taking the lecture online in view of the threat perception over the choice of speaker. This lecture will now go online on December 17.
Lethargy and indecision often define any appointment in a government-run organisation. Ipso facto, none expects any quick action from an enterprise that is vested with the power to pick right people to fill up board slots in government-controlled organisations. This perception is changing now. Coming events often cast their shadows before them. Perhaps the change was set in motion when the government for the first time chose to anoint a woman as the head the Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB). With the induction of Mallika Srinivasan, head of tractor-maker TAFE, as the Chairman in April last year, PESB is moving with a sense of purpose and clarity of thought. It isn’t just recommending names to fill slots in public sector organisations. It has gone beyond to provide incisive inputs. The idea, it appears, is to help build a robust board that is adequately populated to take quick decisions based on the evolving dynamics. The recent appointments at ONGC are a classic case. Though a new Chairman has been announced, it has been decided to dispense with the position of MD. The creation of a new position of Director (Strategy and Corporate Affairs) is seen in the context of providing flexibility to decide on emerging opportunities in the fast-changing dynamic business environment. PESB is now looking at selection in a holistic way. Well, that’s the way to go.
A DMK minister was heard saying that the initiation of Udhayanidhi Stalin into the Tamil Nadu Cabinet was late by a year and a half. He should have been there from the start in May 2021 so the line of succession would have been clear already. Others say that the family is safeguarding its interests by bringing in a successor who will carry forward the Karunanidhi tradition. The most interesting aspect of his inclusion in the Cabinet now is that the date of swearing-in was chosen by his mother Durga who wished to avoid Margazhi, considered inauspicious for various occasions like marriages and events. And hence the hurry to induct him before the Tamil month of Margazhi, famous for Chennai’s music festivals, begins on December 15. CM Stalin may not be willing to accommodate any religious feelings as he goes about his duties as the party’s credo is not faith in God. But he can hardly argue against the wishes of his religious wife Durga whose temple visits are well-recorded. The first lady’s influence can be seen in the tolerance for faith and religion that the DMK shows now even in its official dealings with different religious heads, temples and places of worship. Stalin had studiously maintained that he is not against people following their faith and belief in God.
In a coordinated manner both Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Home Minister Amit Shah cornered the Opposition that was trying to politicize Chinese Army aggression in Tawang on December 9 which was ably rebuffed by the Indian Army. While Defence Minister Rajnath Singh informed both the Houses of the Parliament that there was “no death, no major injuries to our soldiers” on India-China LAC clash and urged the Parliament to support “the valour and courage of our army with one voice”, the Opposition leaders preferred to stage a walkout as they weren’t allowed to discuss the clashes. Home Minister Amit Shah launched a broadside at the Congress MPs outside the Parliament for trying to disrupt Question Hour in the Lok Sabha by raising the issue of Tawang clashes only to avoid questions on the money received by the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation (RGF) from China and controversial preacher Zakir Naik’s organisation. The Congress MPs in the Lok Sabha had demanded to suspend Zero Hour and relevant rules relating to Question Hour. Shah said that the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) licence of RGF was cancelled by the Home Ministry as the foundation accepted a grant of over Rs 1 crore from the Chinese Embassy and Rs 50 lakh from Naik.”I saw the question hour list and after seeing question number 5, I understood the anxiety of Congress.” The question was regarding the cancellation of the FCRA licence of the RGF.
There is so much at stake in the two-Test series against Bangladesh that starts at Chattogram on December 14. India is placed fourth in the ICC Test Championship race for the 2021-23 cycle; it should be recalled that India lost to New Zealand in the final of the inaugural Test championship at Southampton last year. India, to be led by K L Rahul — in the absence of the injured Rohit Sharma — cannot afford to lose to Bangladesh. Only wins against Bangladesh will keep India in the fray; Australia is topping the leader board and it needs small points to assure itself of a place in the final. In fact, only positive results against Bangladesh will keep the home series against Australia in February-March alive. India is scheduled to play four Tests against Australia. Apart from Australia, the others in the running for the title match are South Africa and Sri Lanka which are placed second and third on the points table. Pakistan has virtually seen its hopes vanish following the Test series loss to England, which again is not really in the running. India’s problem is that it doesn’t have Sharma, fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammad Shami. It’s going to be a tough for the stand-in skipper Rahul who said: “We know where we stand and what we need to do to qualify for the final.’’
Much of the BJP losing Himachal Pradesh is being viewed through the prism of the party doing badly in I&B Minister Anurag Thakur’s Hamirpur Lok Sabha constituency where the Congress won 12 of the 17 assembly seats; the BJP had 44 seats in the outgoing assembly. The BJP lost all the five seats in Hamirpur district and it is significant that the Congress picked Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu who is an MLA from Nadaun that falls in Hamirpur region. Deputy CM Mukesh Agnihotri is Haroli MLA from Una district that is also part of Hamirpur Lok Sabha seat. What does this mean for the BJP? Will a Congress win in 2022 make it difficult for Thakur to get re-elected from Hamirpur in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls? Himachal Congress leaders themselves admit that Thakur would face no threat for the Lok Sabha seat in spite of a strong Congress performance. “That is because assembly elections and Lok Sabha elections would be fought on different issues. Besides, remember an assembly seat like Sujanpur in Hamirpur was secured more by postal ballots than the EVM,” pointed out a Congress leader. Congress sources admit that though Thakur had campaigned aggressively, it was his father PK Dhumal’s laid back strategy that benefited Congress — yes they admit to have gained from the J P Nadda-Dhumal rift.
The denizens of the Bollywood would be heaving a sigh of relief as 2022 draws to close. It has been a bad year for most producers, directors and actors. There was great expectation from Rohit Shetty’s Cirkus which releases at the end of the year. But early reports based on its trailer says it has got mixed reviews and as of now it is tracking Rs 15 crore. The saving grace could be Avatar. There is no denying the fact that the confidence of Hindi film industry is shaken. Barring two or three films like Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2, Brahmastra, Drishyam 2 other films have bombed. A trade source said, “2022 has been a losing year. We are almost 1000 crore down as an industry. If you want to single out then this year has been favorable for Ranbir Kapoor and Kartik Aaryan. Particularly the year has not gone well for Ayushmann Khurrana. Because he was on a huge high before the pandemic. And after that his films have not done well.” The year actually belonged to the films more than the stars as two franchisees worked and another franchisee in the making was Brahmastra. The source says that 2023 could be Shah Rukh Khan’s year as the actor has three big releases. Although he is shunning the media but is making sure his presence is felt even if it is at religious places.
The Shinde-Fadnavis government in Maharashtra has received a breather since the Election Commission has postponed a hearing till January over the claims for ownership of the Shiv Sena election symbol, bow & arrow. The first hearing today was over within a few minutes since EC officials explained to both sides the procedure they will follow to ascertain the claim made by the Sena faction led by Uddhav Thackeray and the one under chief minister Eknath Shinde. Sena (Uddhav) MP Anil Desai told the media that the EC will take a call on whether to proceed on the material submitted to it so far or to ask for any supplementary information. The next hearing is likely to be held in the first week of January 2023. The EC’s decision to defer the hearing will enable the Shinde-Fadnavis government to face the ensuing winter session of the legislature more confidently. The session will be held in Nagpur later this month. Its schedule and other details will be decided at a meeting of the business advisory committee (BAC) to be held in Mumbai on December 13. The government is in an upbeat mood since Prime Minister Narendra Modi called Shinde near him in Nagpur and patted him on the back. The television clip has gone viral. To bolster its confidence, the EC’s decision will be helpful, the ruling coalition feels.
Embattled Maharashtra governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari’s letter to Union home minister Amit Shah pleading his case has given rise to a fresh bout of political fracas. Already, protests like bandh have been held in many parts of the state. Koshyari’s letter dated December 6 has gone viral on December 12, prompting NCP MP Amol Kolhe to raise suspicions about the timing of the placatory communication. Already, Koshyari’s controversial statement is disowned by the BJP and incited some parties to organise protest actions, which continue even now. Koshyari had described Chhatrapati Shivaji as an icon of the past in a speech. Clarifying his position in the letter to Shah, the governor has stated, “I can’t imagine even in my dreams to insult any icon of the past. However, mentioning achievers of the present time does not mean disrespect towards the legends that existed here.” In a sly taunt directed at Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray, the governor has pointed out that despite his advancing age, he has walked to visit historical forts like Raigad, Sinhgad, Shivneri and Pratapgad, identified with memories of Chhatrapati Shivaji. The taunt refers to Uddhav’s staying at home during the Covid outbreak and even later, rarely visiting Mantralaya. However, Kolhe has questioned the timing of the letter becoming public and asked, “If there is no intention to dishonor any giants of the past, why are statements derogatory to them made repeatedly?”
Three months of being on Bharat Jodo Yatra seems to have made Rahul Gandhi somewhat a much wiser man. He is at least very nice and polite with senior leaders and has surprised them with his inter-personal skills. He probably learnt it all while doing the balancing act between D K Shivkumar and Siddaramaiah in Karnataka. Like he recently surprised a party veteran in Himachal Viplove Thakur when he warmly greeted her with a hug and even complimented her for “looking much younger” when he met her in Shimla. Such kind words from the Gandhi scion naturally cheered the former Rajya Sabha MP when she reached the podium for the swearing in of Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu as chief minister. Only person to reach the swearing-in late was a sulking PCC chief Pratibha Virbhadra Singh and the Gandhis took it in their stride. Whatever the objectives of the yatra, Rahul now seems more open to people and the yatra has certainly helped him reach out to more leaders within his party than his office would have ever allowed. Himachal Congress leaders were also happy that Rahul took a break from his yatra to savour the success of his sister Priyanka in retrieving the hill state from the BJP. In turn, Priyanka has joined her brother’s yatra with an all women team in Rajasthan on Day 95.
Superstar’s event management for his birthday rocks. Rajini has done it again. The nail-biting anticipation of his fans rekindled for his political entry, yet again. Like the now iconic Vadivelu dialogue, “Varum Aana Vaaradu” and people are left wondering, “I may come, I may not.” Rajini’s earlier movie Baba, not a box office success, was relaunched two days before his 72nd birthday. It was enhanced digitally and made more appealing. Baba’s message still remained same….Rajini is the spiritual icon, whatever his commercial calling. Today’s birthday greeting crowd at his doorstep is staring, jaw dropped at the blue Baba poster. The subliminal message, this is a promo for the relaunched film. But, is there a hidden political agenda in this re-release? Thalaiva is a born showman, master of the art of obfuscation, teasing and titillating. His literal last minute back off from active politics still rankles his fans. What if another bid is made, as insurance, commercial and political. Relaunched Baba is the sum of all these facets. Rajini is adept at keeping his crazed fan following intact….a lot of money rides on the films in the pipeline. And yes, he wants to equal the success of Kamal’s Vikram. What better way than the teaser “I am still a force to reckon with…alliance or all by myself.” Showmen are masters of show and tell. Often, the message itself is the show.
All is not well in the Tamil Nadu unit of BJP. State President K Annamalai is constantly in Operation Damage control mode fighting the ruling DMK dispensation or forces within the party. The latest one relates to the sensational call made by the party’s high profile leader heading OBC wing Tiruchi Surya to Dr Daisy Saran (minority wing secretary). In the now infamous audio clip which has gone viral, Surya used vile and filthy language, threats to humiliate Dr Daisy. He threatened to cut up her genitals and fling her into the sea. Gayatri Raghuram, an actor and BJP functionary, forwarded the clip to the party’s higher ups like the All India Women’s Wing chief Vanathi Srinivasan and Union minister L Murugan. This move backfired. Gayatri was suspended from the party for six months for her anti-party activities and Dr Daisy was read the riot act. Everybody is asking why is Annamalai soft on Tiruchi Surya? Tiruchi Surya, son of DMK MP Tiruchi Siva, has been prodded to resign from the BJP on his own. In his resignation letter Surya states “Annamalai is my elder brother, a treasure trove of the party. I have learnt all strategic nuances under his stewardship …” For good measure he also added that Annamalai is future PM material. With this kind of letter has he figuratively thrown Annamalai in the lion’s den?
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Sunday visit to Nagpur is eagerly awaited as he is expected to becalm the tension between Maharashtra and Karnataka over their six-decade-old border dispute. As if impervious to the problems suffered by people from both sides, Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai has again tweeted that the matter is with the Supreme Court. “A meeting between Amit Shah and some Maharashtra MPs would not make any difference,” he has taunted. This stand has been condemned by opposition parties in Maharashtra. Maharashtra being the second largest state after Uttar Pradesh electorally, it occupies a crucial place for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections for the BJP. Despite this, Bommai has been adding fuel to the fire by his various statements. Hence, BJP leaders in Maharashtra are caught in a delicate situation. Chief minister Eknath Shinde and deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis have already appealed to the PM to intervene. Union home minister Amit Shah’s initiative to invite both chief ministers next week for talks to find a solution will take a specific direction after Modi’s Nagpur visit tomorrow to inaugurate the ambitious Nagpur-Mumbai Expressway’s first leg and other projects. But Bommai’s latest outburst has again created uncertainty. Modi is expected to advise both sides to exercise restraint till a solution satisfactory to will is formulated.
The Narendra Modi Government is believed to be going ahead with its move for a ‘one nation, one election’ plan. Though the plan has not found favour with the main opposition parties. The next Lok Sabha elections is expected to be simultaneously held along with 12 assembly elections. To accommodate this, the Election Commission will have to tweak the dates and even consider advancing the next Lok Sabha elections by a couple of months. The tentative period being considered is believed to be December-January 2023-24, according to informed sources. While the next Lok Sabha elections are due in April-May 2024, the assembly terms of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Telangana will end by December 2023 and Mizoram by mid December 2023. The other states being roped in for the mega election plan are three non-NDA ruled states with BJP affinity — Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Sikkim. The term of these assemblies are scheduled to end by June 2024. And also in the mega election plan are two BJP ruled states, Haryana and Maharashtra, where the elections are due in November 2024. If mega election plan fructifies it will bring down the cost of holding elections across India. The cost of the last Lok Sabha elections was around $ 7 bn (approx. Rs 56,000 crore, up 40% from the previous election. The US spend for its Presidential and Congress elections is around $ 6.5 bn.
It is now more or less clear that display of street-power by those supporting Himachal PCC chief Pratibha Singh could just come a cropper. Efforts by her supporters to gherao vehicles of Congress observer Chattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel or Pratibha Singh’s own claim that she has support of 25 MLAs cannot swing the opinion of the Congress high command. In fact party old timers say Pratibha’s supporters seem to be following everything from her late husband Virbhadra Singh’s playbook. “Pratibha Singh had won the Mandi Lok Sabha seat in a by-election in 2021. In the assembly elections, of the 17 seats under Mandi Lok Sabha the Congress managed to win only 6 seats, 11 went to the BJP,” pointed out a party veteran. Besides, the favourite of high command seems to be Sukhwinder Singh Sukku. A former Youth Congress president, he claims support of 19 MLAs. He is also close to Rahul Gandhi’s aide, K C Venugopal. Beyond Sukku, Pratibha and CLP leader Mukesh Agnihotri, the Congress may go for a fresh alternative — an OBC face from Kangra — Jawali MLA Chander Kumar. That is because in this election the Congress won 10 of the 15 seats in Kangra. “Whoever wins Kangra wins Himachal. Last time, the BJP had won 11 of the 15 seats. It is only right that someone from Kangra becomes CM,” said an ex-party MP. Pratibha may also back Chander to block Sukku.
Maharashtra, too, is examining the possibility of implementing a law on the lines of the UP Prohibition of Unlawful Religious Conversion Act, also known as the ‘Love Jihad’ law. The UP law provides various penalties for a convict, either an individual or an organisation. Deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis told the media that the legislations adopted by various states to prevent forcible conversions under the guise of marriage are being studied at the moment. He was asked if the Maharashtra legislation could come up during the ensuing winter session of the legislature in Nagpur later this month. Fadnavis clarified that as of now, no decision has been taken. Against the backdrop of reports that Love Jihad cases were on the increase in the state, the demand for such a law in Maharashtra has intensified after the gruesome murder of Vasai girl Shraddha Walkar. Her father Vikas who met Fadnavis told the media that he was assured by Fadnavis that no effort would be spared to punish the guilty of the girl’s death. Vikas expressed displeasure with the manner in which local police had handled the matter. He said his daughter would have been alive if the police had acted with alacrity. Vikas demanded investigation of suspect Aaftab Poonawala’s parents as well.
Is Malaika Arora trying to create buzz around her so that her new show on OTT ‘Moving In With Malaika’ gets good traction? Recently, she was all over with stories about her pregnancy, why she parted ways with Arbaaz Khan, or trolled on social media for wearing a Balenciaga dress — the brand which was in controversy over its ad campaign. The pregnancy story was denied by her family. But, those in the trade feel that Malaika gets publicity even while walking her dog out or for her yoga session. Forty-seven year old fitness freak, single mom, carved a distinct place in Bollywood with her item numbers. She has confessed she is avoiding acting roles in the films. But insiders feel she should focus on acting as the new item girl of Bollywood is Nora Fatehi and she is here to stay. But there is no denying that Malaika’s latest item number “Aap Jesa Koi” in Action Hero has resonated well with the audience. Right now one is overdosed with her plug-ins of the show in which confesses about marrying Arjun Kapoor and several other confessions but one is waiting to hear from her about how she dropped the Khan surname and indirectly took on Salman Khan by posing and parading with Arjun Kapoor. But one interesting observation by a colleague is that she has moved on from one AK to another AK.
The Qatar22 FIFA World Cup has whittled down to 8 teams from a high number of 32. A great chance for each one of the qualifiers of the quarter-finalists to give their best shot. As the former Australian cricket captain Steve Waugh said once; teams have to make their own luck. Brazil, the five time winner has been having the bragging rights as the king of the sport, but it faces the banana slip situation against the former Yugoslavia country — Croatia — in one of the quarter-finals clashes today, and Argentina faces the stoical Netherlands in another quarter-final brush. The Lionel Messi bandwagon was full throated at the popular hangout at downtown Doha on Thursday night (Dec 8) — Souq Wakif and Msheireb — and so were the Moroccan supporters dancing to the Arabic beat. The outcome of the last 8 will decide whether the champions of the last decade and more — Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, Luka Modric — will go home or extend their stay here. The drama will continue on December 10 with the England Manager Gareth Southgate making moves to show the way for skipper Harry Kane to stop France’s Kylian Mbappe and eventually do a Bobby Moore (captain of England’s World Cup winning team in 1966) and Portugal’s new kid on the block Ramos taking the start and the centre stage against the Atlas Lions, Morocco.
After the rout of the Congress in Gujarat and MCD elections in Delhi, emphatic return of the party to power in Himachal Pradesh is the best news that could have happened to it. For some reason credit for the Congress victory is being given to none other than Priyanka Gandhi Vadra — who is not even AICC General Secretary responsible for the state. It is only that she has her residence in Chharabra. Interestingly a party leader close to her, Acharya Pramod Krishnam was the first to go public crediting the Himachal victory to Priyanka on live TV. ff support data apkIt was obviously a fan girl moment for him. He felt this was the first good news, the first success since Priyanka made a formal entry into politics in 2019 as AICC General Secretary for UP. Party sources conceded that Priyanka had been working closely with Rajiv Shukla, tải ff support dataAICC functionary handling the state. minecraft lmhmodOf course, she did not address many meetings; just addressed four rallies. But then Congressmen like Krishnam feel Priyanka’s camping in Himachal for nearly a month helped. “Everyone felt Priyankaji was closely monitoring everything.” It is also felt the Himachal results could burnish her CV as political leader after the poor show in UP in 2022. Meanwhile, the party has a tricky issue on hand of finding the next Congress CM. While PCC chief and Mandi MP Pratibha Singh could be the front runner,programlarindir MLAs could root for one amongst them — either Sukhwinder Singh Sukku or Mukesh Agnihotri.
Gujarat, home to both PM Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, gave a historic mandate to the BJP as it voted the party for a seventh straight term handing the ruling party a record haul of 156 assembly seats while the Congress was reduced to a humble 16 seats. Endorsing Modi’s call to vote in his CM nominee Bhupendra Patel, Gujaratis clearly showed that they took a lot of pride in him and helped him break Congress stalwart Madhavsinh Solanki’s 1985 record of 149 seats. TaiwindowsUnlike people of Punjab or Delhi, the state steered clear of AAP’s freebies; maybe people were too self-respecting and did not fall for AAP’s promise of doles. Kejriwal had picked a popular TV anchor Ishan Gadhvi as his CM face but he was voted out. However, lmhmod minecraftKejriwal seems to have got what he wanted out of Gujarat polls, a national party status that he desperately craved. AAP had to win two assembly seats and poll 6% votes for this. The state rewarded him — 5 seats and 12.9% votes. The Congress low-profile, door-to-door campaign without involving Gandhis did not work. In 2017, Rahul Gandhi had taken a lot of interest in the Gujarat polls. allwindows4u This time he opted to canvas just for a day. No wonder, the Congress seats plunged from 77 to 17. New government will be sworn in on December 12.
TRENDS & VIEWS
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