Vis-a-Vis

M.K. NARAYANAN National Security Adviser versus RAVI SHANKAR PRASAD BJP spokesman

I would hesitate to say that we have clinching evidence (against the ISI), but we have pretty good evidence.

Narayanan has given Pakistan big elbow room to deny it's role in fomenting terror and in justifying the entire allegation against the ISI.

EPILOGUE: Concrete steps, not political quibbling, are needed to tackle terrorism.

VOICES

"The Mulayam Singh Government has distributed doles in the name of girl marriage, unemployment and now plans to distribute sarees worth Rs 250 crore."

ABHISHEK SINGHVI, Congress spokesman

"Yesterday we heard a Pakistani minister pleading the case for giving clemency to Mohammad Afzal. Is this what the joint mechanism is aiming at?"

RAJNATH SINGH, BJP President

"Many people go around claiming that they are the true heirs of MGR. But they can never become MGR. We (aiadmk) are the true heirs."

J. JAYALALITHAA, AIADMK Chief

"The real role that women should play in politics should not be in Parliament but in villages. Political heirs are not examples in empowerment."

MILIND DEORA, Lok Sabha member

"I know no one can stop me from doing well except myself. And that is the reason why I still have the smile on my face."

IRFAN PATHAN, cricketer

THE BUZZ OF THE WEEK

With Pranab Mukherjee moving to the ministry of external affairs, a job involving a lot of foreign travel, speculation mounts over who will take over as chief of the nearly two dozen GoMs he headed.

PICTURE SPEAK

FRONTRUNNERS: Karan Singh (left) and Shekhawat

According to political strategists, with both the current President and the prime minister belonging to the minority community, it is now time to play the Hindu card. Interestingly, both the Congress and the bjp have shortlisted two Thakur candidates. From the Congress, Karan Singh, chairman of Indian Council of Cultural Relations, is a frontrunner while the bjp is coming to a consensus around Vice-President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat. In fact, Karan Singh's very public support for Lalu Prasad Yadav's candidature for the much coveted membership of India International Centre is being interpreted as a bid to secure Lalu's vote when he runs for the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Despite the fact that Shekhawat is from the bjp, the affable vice-president has a good rapport with the secular lobby, especially with the ncp and the Samajwadi Party. Much is also being made of the fact that Shekhawat attended a dinner thrown by cpi(m) leader Sitaram Yechury recently. Those close to Thakur know that he is not in the habit of making empty gestures. And right now the Rashtrapati Bhavan is looming large on his vision.

However, there could be a dark horse. Left leaders are not ruling out the candidature of Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatte-rjee, who has been carrying on his own dinner diplomacy. But as a party leader quipped, Somnath will face more opposition from his own party than outside. Congress strategists are not ruling out a quid pro quo whereby they give the presidency to a non-Congress candidate and elect a Congressman as the vice-president.

With eight months left, lobbying for the post of President will get get more intense.

by Priya Sahgal

PICTURE SPEAK

A MENDING ACT: Kalam and Habibullah

Social activists have asked the Centre to sign an undertaking that the Act will not be amended till October 2008.

by Satarupa Bhattacharjya

PROPOSED:

WON: By Jyoti Randhawa, the Indian Open Golf Tournament. This was his first Indian Open title since 2000 and places him at number 14 on the Asian Tour's UBS Order of Merit.

APPOINTED: As the vice-chancellor of Indira Gandhi National Open University, V. N. Rajsekharan Pillai, former chairman and vice-chairman of the University Grants Commission and director of the National Assessment and Accreditation Council.

APPOINTED: Deputy chairman of the Rajya Sabha K. Rehman Khan, as an honorary auditor of the Inter-Parliamentary Union in Geneva.

PICTURE SPEAK

RED FACED: Mulayam

Now, rewind to Mau on October 15, 2005. The town witnessed a communal frenzy that has been compared to the post-Godhra communal carnage by the Allahabad High Court. The mindless violence during Dussehra, claimed 10 lives. The two incidents, in unison, are posing a serious challenge to the oft repeated claim that Muslims are the safest in Mulayam raj.

Subsequently, various political and social organisations-as well as individuals including former MP Subhashini Ali and former Lucknow University vice-chancellor Roop Rekha Verma-have tried to raise the voice of sanity. To limited effect, but.

However, the strongest blow to the Government was dealt by the school-going girl who knocked the doors of the high court, after efforts to file an fir with the local police failed. On September 27, Justice Barkat Ali Zaidi and Justice Vinod Prasad handed over the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) saying, "It is not possible to expect a fair and impartial investigation by the present prosecuting agency and it's necessary in the ends of justice that the matter be entrusted to a more responsible and independent agency." The state Government had no place to hide its face.

Waging a war from a single-room house in Mohalla Raghunathpura, the girl tearfully said, "The goons led by a local politician have ruined us. But I am still fighting for justice so that they don't dare to repeat their acts in future."

by Farzand Ahmed

PICTURE SPEAK

POSTER BOY: Abu Salem

October 21 saw walls in the Muslim-dominated areas plastered with Salem's posters, with the don sporting a Gandhi cap greeting residents for Deepawali and Eid. Rumours were that Salem would contest the next assembly elections from Mubaraqpur in Azamgarh. Political parties like Apna Dal had already started hinting that they would be fielding Salem in the coming elections.

Salem was born in Sarai Mir locality of Azamgarh and has never returned to his hometown, where he doesn't face any criminal cases.

The district administration's decision to remove the posters were met by opposition from a section of Muslims. "Bhai is a mere accused, he has not been convicted, so he has every right, guaranteed by the Constitution," said Shahabuddin, a lawyer. The superintendent of police of Azamgarh, Naveen Arora, shifted the issue to the district magistrate, saying the police have nothing to do with it.

by Subhash Mishra

Do New, See New
NOKIA N80
RS 32,000

The newest N-series phone from Nokia is a high-end convergence device for people wanting a mix of entertainment and productivity. The new Internet browser features Minimap, a guide to view the entire Web page in miniature. It comes with wi-fi, 3 megapixel camera, integrated flash 20x digital zoom video and mp3 player. Works both on 3G and GSM. It's also compatible with TVs, audio systems and PCs for those who enjoy seamless home entertainment. This heavyweight weighs just 134 gm.

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