Embattled mantri Sibal gets pat from PM
Encountering hostility and isolation within his own party, Union minister for human resources development Kapil Sibal appears to have at least Prime Minister Manmohan Singh firmly behind him. On Saturday, the PM showered the minister with praise for the work he has done as the country’s HRD minister.
The encomiums for the embattled Mr Sibal came in the PM’s speech before National Award-winning teachers at his residence here on Saturday, the eve of Teachers’ Day. “I compliment and pay tribute to my colleague Kapil Sibal for the zeal, dedication and enthusiasm that he has brought to bear on the work of this most important ministry.”
While the PM did not say as much, the need to draw attention to his Cabinet colleague’s work has clearly arisen after a bill moved by him in the Rajya Sabha, the Educational Tribunal Bill, 2010, had to be deferred earlier this week. To Mr Sibal’s considerable embarrassment, this happened after none other than party MP and Congress Working Committee member K. Keshava Rao launched an attack on the proposed legislation when it came up for discussion in the Rajya Sabha.
The attack was seen as an instance of the hostility Mr Sibal is experiencing at the hands of his own party MPs who accuse of being high-handed. It is noteworthy that the parliamentary standing committee’s report on the proposed legislation was ignored by Mr Sibal’s ministry while drafting it. While Mr Rao later claimed there was nothing personal where his criticism of the bill was concerned, it is noteworthy that the party has not rebuked him for them.
Mr Sibal though is not the only Cabinet member facing flak from his own partymen. Union home minister P. Chidambaram too has been busy battling Congressmen on his use of the phrase “saffron terror”. AICC general secretary Digvijay Singh had responded by saying the party had never used this term.
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