Vis-a-Vis

M. KARUNANIDHI Tamil Nadu chief minister versus J. JAYALALITHAA AIADMK chief

"Her statements are a bundle of contradictions. Where did she get crores of rupees to acquire partnership in the estate?"

"It’s not illegal to run a tea estate and build a house there to reside in. He is hurling false allegations at me."

EPILOGUE: Mysterious acquisition of crores is a charge many politicians can be accused of.


VOICES

“If among a billion people, you cannot think of an Indian to lead the country, then that kind of a party is unpatriotic and untouchable in my perception.”

J. Jayalalithaa, AIADMK chief

“We are not beggars. We are not going to go begging to the CPI(M). They are hypocrites; they say something in Delhi and do something else in Bengal.”

Mamata Banerjee, Trinamool Congress chief

“We don’t want to differentiate multinationals from Indian corporates; both are bad for Kerala. We really don’t want them here at all.”

C. Divakaran, cpi leader

“The term ‘Bollywood’ was used by the western press to mock at us. And it is just an indication of our own idiocy that we still use it.”

Naseeruddin Shah, actor

“I really don’t blame my critics because they have given me all the awards. They said I am a nasal singer and I have accepted it.”

Himesh Reshammiya, singer-musician-actor

THE BUZZ OF THE WEEK

Private airline operators may soon be popping open the bubbly. The Empowered Group of Ministers is expected to grant licences for international flights to all three-year old airlines, down from the current stipulation of five years.

DIED: Former Delhi chief minister and BJP vice-president Sahib Singh Verma, in a road accident in Rajasthan’s Alwar district. He was a former Union minister and a Lok Sabha member from Outer Delhi constituency from 1999 to 2004.

ISSUED: To three-month-old Ayush Ranjan Rout, a permanant account number (pan) on the grounds that he was a paid model and needed to file his returns. He is the youngest Indian to hold a pan card.

APPOINTED: Professor Mahendra P. Lama of the School of International Studies, Jawarhal Nehru University, Delhi, as the first vice-chancellor of Sikkim University.

PICTURE SPEAK

HELLO, GOODBYE: Patil (left) with Kalam

Last week, Kalam cleared a list of lunches and dinners that he in-tends to host in his final days in the office. He has already sent out a letter to the prime minister and the Union Cabinet thanking them for their cooperation and invited them over for dinner on July 20, a day after the presidential polls. Next week, he will be hosting parties for the many who served him during his tenure—from ADCs and personal staff right down to the gardeners.

Kalam has turned down suggestions from officers in charge of the transition to requisition half a dozen military trucks to carry his personal belongings, saying he has just about two dozen bags, most of them containing books.

Rashtrapati Bhavan sources said in the past presidents demitting office have requisitioned even eight to 10 trucks to carry belongings, most of them gifts received during the presidency. Kalam has decided to deposit all his gifts and souvenirs in the Rashtrapati Bhavan toshakhana (strong room). A bachelor, Kalam used just three rooms in the imposing 340-room complex. While he intends to pursue his career as a scientist, Kalam is also said to have accepted a request from Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to be a visiting professor at the Nalanda University.

Meanwhile, the UPA-Left candidate Pratibha Patil shows no signs of being embroiled in one of the dirtiest presidential elections in history and is said to be making preparations to move in. With the Congress placing an unofficial gag on the now famous Patilisms, Patil may well shake off the muck and make it to the house on the hill where she is expected to be joined by about eight family members for whom 10 rooms are being readied. Rashtrapati Bhavan sources say some of her relatives have visited the place for an assessment of the changes required.

PICTURE SPEAK

EYE OF A STORM: The USS Nimitz docks off Chennai

These protests, which would have warmed the hearts of Cubans and North Koreans, were last seen when the US and iaf aircraft conducted air exercises in the skies over West Bengal.

Even as AIADMK supremo J. Jayalalithaa and MDMK’s Vaiko joined the chorus, the Left staged protests and rallies triggering alarms about a possible nuclear fallout which would have led a casual observer believe the Chernobyl power plant had berthed four nautical miles off Chennai.

Initially, it was questions about the warship’s nuclear propulsion, never mind that over 5,000 crewmen have lived on the 32-year-old ship without any complaints or the US has an enviable track record of 56 accident-free years of nuclear reactor technology.

Then, the Left took umbrage over the US ambiguity over whether or not it carried nuclear weapons on board. The US personnel onboard the Nimitz invoked standard policy directives to ‘neither confirm nor deny the presence of nuclear weapons’ on board. The Left saw this as contrary to the Government and the US Embassy’s statement that the vessel did not carry nukes.

While the fracas raged on, thousands of Nimitz sailors disembarked on shore after a month-long deployment and busied themselves in community service, visiting schools and orphanages and spending time with Tsunami-affected people of Tamil Nadu. Goodwill, clearly seems to be the only fallout of this nuclear warship’s visit.

-By Sandeep Unnithan

PICTURE SPEAK

SENTENCED: Telgi

A special court in Pune sentenced Telgi to 13 years’ rigorous imprisonment along with a collective fine of Rs 202 crore after he pleaded guilty. A day earlier, Judge Chitra Bhedi discharged Sharma and DCP (Crime) Pradip Sawant and suspended Inspector Vashisht Andhale from the case for “lack of evidence.”

Interestingly, although the SIT implicated the three officials in the case, Telgi could be convicted only after these very officials were discharged. That’s because in 2000, Sharma’s team recovered Rs 2,200 crore worth fake stamp papers that were the only evidence against Telgi. “I was framed by some IPS officials whom I superseded,” says Sharma, who was arrested before he took over as DGP in 2003. The court also sentenced 43 others accused to a minimum of five years after they pleaded guilty. Telgi is HIV positive and may not outlive his sentence.

-By Prerana Thakurdesai

PICTURE SPEAK

DILIP SARDESAI 1940-2007

When Mumbai was Bombay and the most formidable first class team in the country, Sardesai was one of the team’s pillars, playing 12 seasons not knowing what it felt like being beaten to the Ranji Trophy championship. A sturdy, courageous batsman, he was known for his ability to wear down bowling, but when required could turn defence into attack, scoring a century in two hours against New Zealand in Delhi. He played 13 Tests as a converted opening batsman, finishing his international career in December 1972 with 2001 runs @39.23 and five centuries from 30 Tests, and first-class cricket with 10,230 runs, @41.75 with 25 centuries. After his playing days were done he served time as a Mumbai selector and an outspoken but open-hearted senior citizen of the game, remaining to the end, a stranger to cynicism or bitterness. He is survived by his wife and two children.

-By Sharda Ugra

PICTURE SPEAK

WONDER FULL: Taj Mahal

The Seven Wonders list will be announced in Lisbon on July 7 at an event to be co-hosted by Bollywood actor Bipasha Basu. Millions hope the majestic white marble mausoleum will be included in the list.

Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Tourism and Culture Minister Ambika Soni are among those who have campaigned for the Taj while A.R. Rahman has composed a song for it. The competition is organised by unesco and Bernard Weber, a Swiss-Canadian filmmaker and author. It allows people from across the world to choose from 21 monuments, narrowed down from a list of 177 in 2005.
-By Rahul Tewari