 Catering
Compulsions
Delhi: The Prime Minister's Office at
South Block has a full-fledged canteen run by the Indian Railways which
serves good snacks and sumptuous lunch at subsidised prices. Across the
road at North Block, which houses the Home Ministry, there were no such
facilities. For Home Minister L.K. Advani, it was a problem serving even
biscuits to visitors. Following a request from the ministry, the railway
authorities set up a modest snacks service earlier this year. But when
Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee got to know about it, she ordered its
withdrawal saying that this meant unnecessary expenditure to her ministry.
Advani grinned and bore it. Now his visitors are served tea by the CRPF.
Out of Tune
Lucknow: That Sonia Gandhi has a language
problem is not something that bothers her supporters. But it does
embarrass them. At the Mahila Congress convention in Amethi last week,
Sonia stood up along with party workers as Vande Mataram was recited. But
no sooner had one stanza ended than Sonia sat down -- everyone else
continued to be on their feet. When the singing resumed again, Sonia
quickly got up and pretended to sing along though that did nothing to hide
the blush on her face.
Son Stroke
Hyderabad: N. Chandrababu Naidu's admiration
for all things American now finds support -- in his own home. The Andhra
Pradesh chief minister's young son Lokesh will soon be headed westwards to
pursue graduate studies in the US. Naidu, it seems, wanted Lokesh to
finish his graduation here and then go abroad for higher studies, but a
chance meeting with American officials during President Bill Clinton's
brief visit to Hyderabad clinched the issue. The Naidus meanwhile are
preparing to cope with life with their only son away.
Closed Gates
Mumbai: Who wouldn't want to be in Seattle as
a guest of Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates? Vilasrao Deshmukh, for one. The
chief minister was among those whom Gates invited for a seminar but with
the Shiv Sena and BJP trying to topple his government, Deshmukh opted to
stay back.
CONFESSIONAL
Tired of backseat driving KAMAL
NATH is said to be keen on dislodging
Digvijay Singh as Madhya Pradesh chief minister.
Of late you have stepped up your
attacks on the chief minister?
A. Disagreements should not be construed as political attacks. I am
against the Government's decision to sack daily-wage earners and reduce
grants given to educational institutions. I only made my views open.
Your Dhar rally of April has been
described as a bid to dislodge Digvijay?
A. The purpose of the rally: to make Congress stronger and more
relevant. Even Digvijay asked all Congressmen to attend the rally.
You often referred to Digvijay as your
"younger brother". Now you seem to have joined hands with Arjun
Singh to form a front against the chief minister?
A. I might have disagreed with Arjunji on some issues but I have great
respect for his political wisdom. We have come together for the party's
good.
Are you eyeing the chief minister's
chair?
A. There has to be a vacancy first.
-N.K. Singh
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