Senior BJP leader and former PAC member Yashwant Sinha described in “one simple sentence” the volte-face by BSP and SP members on the controversial report of the PAC on the 2G Spectrum scam as well as the criticism of the report and PAC chief M.M. Joshi by the UPA members, as “choron ki baraat (gang of the crooks).”
“They (BSP and SP) are arch rivals in the state (Uttar Pradesh) but Congress turns the key (read CBI) and they join hands in supporting UPA which is neck deep in corruption,” Mr Sinha said.
***
Radia-active minds coin a new name for Nrega
Corporate lobbyist Niira Radia may have occupied centre-stage when the infamous tapes of her conversations with the rich and powerful of India Inc and the media world were leaked. Thus was coined the word ‘Radiagate’ in connection with the 2G scam which has engulfed both the government and the corporate world in recent months. But guess what the newly-minted full form of NREGA, one of the flagship programmes of the government, now is? The Niira Radia Employment Guarantee Scheme! Given the number of persons the lady with ‘connections’ was ‘networking’ with, we can only say kudos to whoever thought of this gem.
***
EC rap for Basu’s tirade against Didi
Fighting an increasingly losing battle in the on-going Assembly polls in West Bengal, the Left appears to be resorting to desperate measures to reach out to its electorate. The most recent instance of this, of course, came when a CPI-M’s former MP made remarks that were in extremely bad taste against bitter-foe Mamata Banerjee who leads the Trinamul Congress. An embarrassed CPI-M not only rapped Anil Basu on the knuckles for his obscene remarks but also barred him from addressing any further political rallies. The Election Commission too has come down heavily on the CPI-M veteran and issued him a notice under its ‘model code of conduct’. A seven-time MP, Basu perhaps should’ve known better than using such unparliamentary language, particularly for a lady. But perhaps it’s finding it extremely difficult to come to terms with the fact that it’s headed for a life out of power after over three decades of unbroken rule by the ‘Reds’ in West Bengal.
***
Exit poll ‘predictions’
For any party it is quite natural to claim victory till the moment the results are declared. In Tamil Nadu, even though the winds of change were visible during the run-up to the Assembly elections and all opinion polls were in favour of the AIADMK, the ruling DMK unnerved by it, started its own campaign aided by the spoils of office and money-power. It began to circulate SMSes all over stating that the DMK-led alliance would return to power comfortably with 140+ seats. It also predicted only 94+ seats for the AIADMK led group. All this in the name of opinion polls and exit polls being conducted by reputed companies. In a house of 234, a majority would mean 117. May 13 will reveal if the DMK’s hopes fructify or not.
***
‘`1 award’ for killing of Osama
The killing of Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden by American forces had at least one amusing fall-out back home. An unsung, unknown, unheralded organisation called the All India Minorities Front (AIMF) decided to grab its two minutes of fame from the Osama killing. So it has written an e-mail to American president Barack Obama asking that the American officer who was responsible for Osama’s killing collect the award of `1 announced by the Front in 2001 for anyone delivering the Al Qaeda chief dead or alive. This isn’t all. The Front, in its hubris or foolishness rather, even wants the Amercian president to “authenticate’ that the officer claiming the ‘award’ was indeed the one who killed Osama. Now, did we just hear someone utter “what cheap publicity stunts!”