Daily At His Service
A regular column on the essential buzz
Daily At His Service
The preferences of a certain governor have forced the administration to be on its toes more than usual. His review meetings at various district HQs are a challenge for officials. As he prefers to travel by train, a police team led by an SP has to accompany him and the coaches next to his salon car have to be sanitised. The governor also reads Hindi dailies wherever he is. When officials found the dailies were not available locally during his recent trip to a district, they sent a car to a neighbouring state to fetch them. Now, local news agents are alerted to ensure the dailies are around before the governor’s arrival.
Liking It Unliked
The Jammu and Kashmir government’s 16-page diktat, laying down social media rules for its 4.5 lakh employees, has left most people bemused. The guidelines debar employees from posting anything political or accept friend requests from strangers. The opposition NC accuses the PDP-BJP government of double standards, claiming CM Mehbooba Mufti’s cabinet has many ministers who trolled former CM Omar Abdullah, including spokesperson Naeem Akhtar. Also, Mufti’s current OSD, who was earlier a bank employee, used to troll Omar and other NC leaders using the pseudonym Ibn Batuta, after the famous Morrocan traveller. Now that the PDP is at the receiving end, a large number of social media users are being gagged. Not fair, NC leaders say.
A Yogic Campaign
While the RSS is playing a key role in spreading the good word for the BJP in poll-bound Tripura, BJP sources claim they have their own trump card up their sleeves—UP CM Yogi Adityanath, who is likely to be the star campaigner in the northeastern state, next only to PM Narendra Modi. Clearly, the party is banking on consolidation of Hindu vote, having realised it won’t have it easy in the Left bastion. As many as 35 per cent of the Bengalis in the state are Shaivites belonging to the Nath community, which happens to be Yogi’s sect. Will we also see another Shiv bhakt raise his hand during the campaign?
Overheard Some leading industrialists, known to be close to the BJP, are seeking appointments with Rahul Gandhi, the newly anointed Congress president. Winds of change or mere pragmatism?