Modi's Un-parliamentary word Expunged from speech in RS

by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group

Modi's Un-parliamentary word Expunged from speech in RS

PM had accused the Opposition of spreading "Jhoot"

Naidu expunges word from Ghulam Nabi's Speech

Harish Gupta

New Delhi, Feb 7

The Chairman of the Rajya Sabha and Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, expunged a word from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speech in parliament on Thursday.

While bitterly attacking the Opposition (Congress) on the NPR & CAA, the PM charged them for misleading people an spreading "jhooth (lies)". This created a ruckus during the debate which went on late until yesterday. The chairman, sensing the mood of the House, immediately expunged the remarks saying anything said, done or any action which is un-parliamentary is dropped.

Today, his office issued an official order expunging the word “Jhoot” from PM's statement on the National Population Register (NPR).

Interestingly, the Chairman also expunged a remark by Opposition leader Ghulam Nabi Azad “Gumrah” (Misleading). It is rather surprising that the PM had also used the same word “Gumrah” during the course of his speech.

This is the second time that the Chairman, M Venkaiah Naidu had to expunge a remark of the PM from his speech.

In 2018, some words were dropped from PM Modi's comments on Congress leader BK Hariprasad. It was on August 11 in 2018 when Modi had made the remark about the Opposition candidate for House deputy chairman, B.K. Hariprasad, while felicitating the winner, Harivansh. Many in the Opposition and outside construed three words in that speech as an attempt to crack a joke about Hariprasad's initials.

While Opposition members squirmed at the reference, which they thought was in poor taste, the BJP benches too remained stony-faced. Next day, Naidu expunged these three words. He also expunged a reference to these three words by RJD member Manoj Jha, who had quoted them while demanding their removal from the records. There was talk of moving a privilege notice against the Prime Minister for the remark. But it was dropped after remarks were expunged.

Jaitley back in Lutyen's Delhi, Gets a new ministerial Bungalow

by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group

Special Report

Jaitley back in Lutyen's Delhi, Gets a new ministerial Bungalow

Harish Gupta

New Delhi, July 8

Former Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will be back in Lutyen's Delhi soon.

If reports are to be believed, Jaitley has been allotted a new Bungalow number 22 at Akbar Road. The bungalow, presentely under occupation of former Union Minister of Steel Chaudhary Birender Singh, is now available for re-allotment.

Arun Jaitley who had shifted to his private house in Kailash Colony last month, has been re-allotted the Type VIII ministerial bungalow by the government. Jaitley had vacated his ministerial bungalow 2 Krishna Menon Marg and declined to become Finance Minister in the Modi-2 government on health ground. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had visited him to persuade him to stay on the government bungalow and suggested that he take oath as Minister without portfolio until he fully recovers.

It is learnt that Jaitley is showing signs of recovery and responding to treatment lately. As a member of the Rajya Sabha, Jaitley has been offered a ministerial once again due to his seniority. Jaitley accepted the offer and opted for 22 Akbar Road bungalow. However, Chaudhary Birender Singh will vacate the house he gets an alternative place of accommodation. He too is entitled to a bigger house being a member of Parliament since 1984 or an MLA and former minister.

The allotment and acceptance of 22 Akbar Road bungalow is significant in the sense that Jaitley considered his previous official residence as inauspicious. He believed that ever since he shifted to the Krishna Menon Marg house, his health continued to suffer and he had to undergo one surgery after the other.

But the 22 Akbar Road bungalow's previous occupants had been illustrious including Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Ambika Soni and others. Its a different matter that Union Power Minister R K Singh remains unruffled with these beliefs and accepted the allotment of Jaitley's previous bungalow at Krishna Menon Marg. He is a former Union Home Secretary and believes and houses don't decide anybody's destiny.

Ends

No cake-walk for Priyanka, Scindia in UP

by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group

News analysis

No cake-walk for Priyanka, Scindia in UP

Congress to focus on 25 Lok Sabha seats

Harish Gupta

New Delhi, Jan. 24

Stiff challenge awaits Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in UP East when she returns from the USA in the first week of February to take charge of her first formal political assignment. She along with her family members, has gone there for a medical check up of a family member three weeks ago, sources say. Her entry in UP East is not a cake-walk but like a greenhorn in the Lion's den. She has been given the charge of those 33 Lok Sabha seats where the Congress had drawn a big Zero in 2014 parliamentary polls. If anyone thought that Priyanka Gandhi has been rewarded by her brother Rahul or it is a bed of roses for her or a big favour, he is sadly mistaken. Its a deft, crafty political move where the Gandhi scion knew he will have to fight it all alone now. After all, party stalwarts Ghulam Nabi Azad included, failed during the past three decades to revive the Congress in UP. Left high and dry by the SP-BSP with only two seats (Amethi & Rae Bareli), Rahul could find only her sister for UP East and and trusted colleague Jyotiraditya Scindia for UP West. The UP West includes regions like Bundelkhand, Ruhelkhand and western part accounting for 30 odd-Lok Sabha seats. It must be borne in mind that when the Congress won 21 Lok Sabha seats in UP in 2009, 15 came from Eastern part while six from other regions. The Congress had a vote share of 10% in UP East compared to 4.90% in UP West. It may also be worthwhile to mention that it contested 67 seats out of 80 in 2014.

But surely, 2019 is not 2009 and Priyanka and Scindia would have to fight for every vote in their respective battle ground. Congress insiders say that the Congress would not contest all the 80 seats as was declared by Ghulam Nabi Azad. In fact, one of the reasons for him being shifted to the small state of Haryana was his suo-moto declaration of taking on SP-BSP too. Rahul Gandhi has made it clear that seats and candidates be selected with the objective to defeat the BJP and improve party's own tally. It is also clearly emerging that the Congress will focus on 25 Lok Sabha seats where it will put up strong candidates.

It had a formidable presence in nine Lok Sabha constituencies and strong in another five besides winning two seats in 2014. Therefore, it had a reasonable case of getting 10 Lok Sabha in the bargain with the SP-BSP. Since it couldn't happen, it will now focus on

Barabanki (2nd), Kushinagar (2nd), Mirzapur (3rd), Pratapgarh (3rd) and Varanasi (3rd). Of course, in Varanasi, there is already a talk of putting up a joint Opposition candidate in Shatrughan Sinha. Similarly, the Congress was second in Saharanpur, Ghaziabad (Raj Babbar contested), Lucknow (Rita Bahuguna Joshi joined BJP after being defeated), Kanpur (Sriprakash Jaiswal) and Kheri constituencies. It was pushed to third position in Rampur, Unnao, Farrukhabad (Salman Khurshid). With the young Rahul team taking over UP, the Congress workers will surely be enthused and galvanized. But it is certainly not a red carpet that awaits Priyanka and Scindia. Its a long, hard battle ground.

ends 

Fly on the Wall : Piyush Goyal is Bharat Bhai, Truely

by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group

Piyush Goyal is Bharat Bhai, Truely

The North Block is abuzz with stories never heard of in the government before. When the newly appointed Finance Minister, Piyush Goyal visited the ministry soon after taking over, top officials including secretaries went to congratulate him in his chamber. They were surprised to see the Minister was sitting on a sofa rather on the designated chair for formal meetings. Goyal issued the first sermon that they will continue to do the same work they were doing and the personal staff of Jaitley was told to continue working as they were earlier. Goyal did not bring a single person of his choice in the finance ministry. Even after assuming the full-fledged charge of the Finance and Corporate Affairs Ministries, he prefers not to make frequent trips to North Block and calls for files in the Railway Ministry where he sits for long hours. Even the finance ministry's website which put out his name as new Finance Minister, was taken off within hours of being up-loaded. Arun Jaitley continues to be the Finance Minister according to the official website of the ministry. Even when Goyal holds regular meetings with the officials and ministerial colleagues, he does not occupy Jaitley's chair. Officials in the ministry say that Goyal is conducting himself as Bharat, younger brother of Lord Rama during the Ramayan era. When Lord Rama went to the jungles for 14 years, Bharat became the King. But he never sat on the thrown and put “Khadaon” (Wooden sleepers) of Lord Rama on it. Goyal is doing exactly the same. He also makes it a point to visit Jaitley at the AIIMS where he is convalescing after undergoing kidney transplant whenever in town. It is strange but true that Reuters news agency's news that Piyush Goyal will be the new Finance Minister has come true after two years of it being flashed. Goyal vehemently denied that he had any hand in it. But it turned out to be true and that too at a time when his hands are over-filled as he is holding four key portfolios-- Railways, Coal, Finance & Corporate Affairs. Cheers Bharat Bhai.

Rahul, not Sonia clinched the Karnataka deal

It was not Sonia Gandhi but Congress president Rahul Gandhi who “triggered” the post-poll alliance with the JD(S) as the results were trickling and it became clear within hours that the Congress is way behind the majority mark. It was Rahul Gandhi who gave a direction to the State leaders. He had discussed at length - plan A, plan B and plan C and what to do if “we don’t win”. D K Shivkumar who is the Man of the Season in the Karnataka power game disclosed to a few confidants, had told the party leadership in Delhi that the Congress would perform badly in South Karnataka, where the JD(S) is the main contender. Rahul made it clear that if the numbers are wrong, stay back, don’t bid or bargain for power”. He instructed Venugopal to seal the deal with JD (S) and entrusted Ashok Gehlot and Ghulam Nabi Azad who was in touch with Danish Ali, a confidante of H D Kumaraswamy. This was contrary to impression being created by a section of the Congress that Sonia and not Rahul decided to join hands with JD(S). In fact, Rahul Gandhi spoke to Kumaraswamy on Sunday, May 13 itself, two days before the results were out. This was followed up by a phone call from Sonia Gandhi to former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda reiterating the same proposal. In Fact, Siddaramiah, wanted to sit in the Opposition. But Rahul persuaded him to make way as larger challenge is on the horizon in 2019. It was Ghulam Nabi Azad who persuaded him to fall in line. Sonia Gandhi reportedly wooed Deve Gowda by saying that she had no hand when Congress withdrew support of his government at the Centre in 1997. Gowda had lost the Prime Minister's post.

How Amit Shah lost the Karnataka Plot

BJP president Amit shah was working on party's win in Karnataka for almost six months. In fact, his Man-Friday and Railway Minister Piyush Goyal was in regular touch with H D Deve Gowda and his elder son Revenna. The Gowdas were bitter with the Congress ever since Deve Gowda had been dislodged and arch rival Siddaramiah was made the Chief Minister. Lokmat was the first to break the story when Piyush Goyal went to meet the Gowdas in March at the latter's residence. He later asserted that he had gone there to discuss railway projects in Gowda's constituency. Shah and Goyal had offered them the most lucrative deal-- Deputy Chief Ministership to one son and a Cabinet post in the Central government to the other son. The alliance will be post-poll. It was because of this very deal that entire BJP leadership never criticised the Janata Dal (S) throughout the campaign. Rather the PM praised Deve Gowda. The BJP targeted only Rahul, Rahul and Rahul and his party. There were reports that Shah even met Kumaraswamy in Mumbai and the meeting was organised by Piyush Goyal. The formula was that if the BJP is below the majority mark it will enter into an alliance with JD(S) and share power. But Kumaraswamy walked into the lucrative offer made by Rahul Gandhi on Saturday itself that he will be Chief Minister.

Lalu upset with the Gandhis

Down but not out Lalu Prasad Yadav is extremely upset with the Gandhis. Reason is not political but personal. Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi had promised to attend the wedding ceremony of his son Tej Pratap at Patna on May 12. The day was fixed keeping in mind that the Karnataka polling will be over by then. Lalu Yadav wanted to make the wedding as demonstration of Opposition's unity in this hour of crisis when the CBI and ED are after him and his family. A chartered plane had also been kept in waiting for the Gandhis and special arrangements for their stay had also been made. But the Gandhi gave the ceremony amiss. Why ? No one knows. This was despite the fact that Rahul met Lalu at the AIIMS a couple of weeks ago. But what came as a surprise was that Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar showed up at the wedding. Perhaps, he wanted the send a signal to the BJP leadership that he has his options open. The BJP leadership was not discussing with him Lok Sabha seat sharing arrangement with the Janata Dal (U). Nitish wanted a meeting with Amit Shah. But Amit Shah wanted him to talk to Bhupendra Yadav. Nitish felt slighted and sent the signal. More seems to be in store in Bihar in the months to come.

Why Sonia kept her Cool on NCP !

by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group

Why Sonia kept her Cool on NCP !

When Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad telephoned Praful Patel Friday morning inviting NCP to join the Opposition conclave, an angry Patel put a condition: Issue a statement that NCP did not betray Congress candidate Ahmad Patel in Gujrat and one of its two MLAs voted for the Congress.” Ghulam Nabi rushed to Sonia Gandhi who went into a huddle with other senior party leaders. The outcome: No statement came as none of the two NCP MLAs voted for the Congress. Secondly, the NCP is already hob-nobbing with Shankar Sinh Vaghela to float a “third Front” in Gujrat to weaken the Congress further. Vaghela revolted against the Congress and tried every trick to defeat Ahmad Patel. He himself didn’t join the BJP and pondering whether to join it or float a party and become part of the third front to cut into anti-BJP votes. Thus, the Congress is in no hurry to placate the NCP in Gujrat. The Congress believes that the NCP leaders are under extreme pressure ever since the CBI formally registered an FIR in the purchase of aircraft when Praful Patel was Civil Aviation Minister.

Medical colleges' scam shocks SC, & BJP too

The detaining of a Lucknow based journalist of a leading Hindi TV channel whose name was linked to a deal to get recognition for a medical college by the CBI recently came as a shocker to the ruling BJP. Even the Supreme Court was also shocked as recognition to the medical college was granted as it happened during the time when high-powered SC committee looked after the affairs of Medical Council of India. The CBI started probing the corruption in granting recognition to 34 medical colleges in May-June last year after reports surfaced that massive corruption took place in such cases. Surprisingly, the charges surfaced when Medical Council of India was superseded and its affairs were entrusted to three-member committee appointed by the Supreme Court. So disturbed was the Supreme Court was with the revelations of CBI's probe report, that it allowed the government to immediately de-recognize 32 out of 34 medical colleges. It also allowed the government to reconstitute another Over-site Committee (OC) to look after the affairs of the Medical Council of India. The new 5-member OC superseded the 3-member high-powered committee comprising of a former Chief Justice of SC and an eminent former top IAS officer. Incidentally, the former IAS officer is a favourite of the Modi government. The government pleaded with the SC that 5-member committee of reputed professionals associated with the medical profession will be able to handle the affairs better. The SC reluctantly agreed. The CBI which is probing the matter has informed the government that at least three kinds of middlemen were operating in securing recognition to these 32 medical colleges. Though the journalist was not formally arrested because it would have created a big political ruckus in the country as he is considered very very close to the leadership. But the TV channel sacked him. The fate of 4000 students who were admitted by these 32 medical colleges hangs in the balance until the 5-member OC reviews their cases afresh. But the medical colleges scandal is set to take a heavy toll. 

Amit Shah’s Phulpur waterloo

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath quit his Gorakhpur Lok Sabha seat immediately after voting in the Vice Presidential poll on August 5. It was expected that his deputy Keshav Prasad Maurya will also quit his Phulpur Lok Sabha seat the same day. But to the surprise of political observers it didn’t happen. Why ? It transpires that BJP Chief Amit Shah directed Maurya to wait as Phulpur bye-election cannot be a cake-walk. While Gorakhpur is considered safe, Phulpur may see the fielding of a common Opposition candidate. One proposal is Mayawati who quit her Rajya Sabha seat may be fielded and other Opposition parties may support her. Amit Shah wants to assess the situation as it may be his another waterloo after losing face in Gujrat Rajya Sabha biennial polls. There is already a talk that Keshav Prasad Maurya may be brought into the Union Cabinet. The Fly is waiting on the wall to hear the final word.

The Ajmer Headache

Phulpur is not the only headache for Amit Shah. The new problem has arisen in Ajmer (Rajasthan) where sitting BJP Lok Sabha MP Sanwar Lal Jat died recently. Jat had shocked Congress’ Sachin Pilot in 2014 Lok Sabha polls. But winds of change are blowing in Rajasthan and it’s a new problem for Amit Shah.

Triple Talaq judgement soon

Before Chief Justice of India J S Khehar demits office on August 27, the Triple Talaq verdict is likely to be delivered. If the whispers in the corridors of the SC are to be believed, the verdict will come after August 22. The verdict will deal only with the legal issues relating to Triple Talaq rather than the whole gamut. 

Rahul Gandhi elevation deferred again

by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group

Exclusive 

Rahul Gandhi elevation deferred again

No AICC session for now

New Delhi, June 14

The anointment of Rahul Gandhi as Congress president is understood to have been delayed again; so it seems. Though clamour for Rahul's elevation is growing in the party. But it has now been delayed again. 

Highly placed sources in the Congress say that the AICC session to elevate party’s vice president to the president’s post, will not be held at least for the next two months.

“The AICC session may now be held sometime in August end or September,” said a senior party functionary on the condition of anonymity.

These sources say that no useful purpose will be served by elevating Rahul Gandhi as he is already taking major decisions in the party. What Rahul Gandhi has lately realized that the team he trusted during the past two years did not deliver. Madhusudan Mistry who was even rewarded with a Rajya Sabha seat failed to infuse confidence within the UP unit of the party. The bitter battle with the BJP and other parties is being fought in UP and Mistry was unable to coordinate with Prashant Kishore, Rahul’s strategist.

The return of Ghulam Nabi Azad as incharge of UP and Kamal Nath for Haryana and Punjab signals that Rahul had to fall back on Sonia Gandhi’s loyalists only.

Rahul has realized that the Haryana Congress unit is in disarray particularly after the huge set back in the Rajya Sabha polls. He also  knows that party will be crippled without Bhupinder Singh Hooda who was Chief Minister for ten years. Though it is clear that 13 MLAs allegedly close to Hooda used a different marker pen to cast their votes. But the situation has to be retrieved.

Since Kamal Nath has never been Rahul Gandhi favourite  and had been dumped by him during the past two years, his sudden rehabilitation signals that Sonia Gandhi is playing more active role.

Kamal Nath is senior to Hooda and rather had helped him when the latter needed him. Similarly, Kamal Nath will have to keep Capt Amrinder Singh under check. He becomes uncontrollable. Kamal Nath has been his Doon school buddy and original Rajiv Gandhi era friends. The high command is aware that Congress is capable of winning Punjab and doesn’t want to wither away the prospects.

These sources say more changes may be in store in the party and general secretary C P Joshi who handled Assam elections may be given another responsibility. It seems that the party wants to focus on ensuing Assembly polls in five states early next year rather than elevating one Gandhi with another.