Delhi: No one expected Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee to spare more than 15 minutes to chairing his first Indian Board for Wildlife meeting, but the occasion woke the sleeping tiger in the man. He stayed on for two hours and vowed to stop the slaughter because "a million children want me to". Eventually he was persuaded by aides to leave for his next engagement, despite his pleading he wanted to stay on.

EC Cloud In SAD Poll Sky

Chandigarh: The Shiromani Akali Dal is bristling after a string of admonishments from the Election Commission for violations of the model code of conduct. After an EC fiat led to the curtailing of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal's campaign convoy, it was the turn of his wife, Surinder Kaur, to get a taste of the EC's strict vigil. The EC has upbraided and sought an explanation from Kaur's personal securityman, a Punjab police official, for forcing children in a school to raise pro-Badal slogans at a political rally. Small wonder then that Badal is swearing by fair and free polls more often and more loudly than ever before.

Peace Off

Delhi: Amar Singh, Samajwadi Party general secretary and a great deal maker, recently tried his craft on former prime minister Chandra Shekhar—to disastrous effect. Mulayam Singh Yadav wanted Shekhar to support him in eastern Uttar Pradesh, particularly Ballia, his borough. Singh went to the one-time Young Turk as envoy. Would they make peace? Shekhar was apparently so miffed by the offer that he warned Singh to advise Mulayam against visiting him. The sp leader would get a caning if he came calling, Singh was warned. Ouch.

All Party To Violence

Thiruvananthapuram: Apart from the usual suspects, members of vociferously secular parties like the CPI(M) and his own Congress were arrested for participating in religious violence in Kerala, according to Chief Minister A.K. Antony. "Don't blame the RSS and NDF (National Democratic Front, a hardline Islamic group). What is more dangerous is the role of persons belonging to the secular parties," he said. The CPI(M) has called it "falsely implicating secular parties". The Congress is speechless.