Baglay ki duniya
Gopal Baglay is possibly the fastest moving stock in the Ministry of External Affairs. As if being its spokesman was not high profile enough, Baglay will soon be moving to PMO as joint secretary. Not only will this make him privy to key foreign policy decisions, his inputs could also play an important role in their formulation. Earlier, he had headed the sensitive Pakistan-Afghanistan-Iran division and, therefore, his rise is being noticed in South Block and beyond. ‘Baglay ki duniya’ is indeed moving in the right direction for this 1992-batch IFS officer, who speaks Urdu, Nepali, Ukrainian and Russian.
Oath of secrecy
Puducherry Lieutenant-Governor Kiran Bedi took her running battle with CM V. Narayanaswamy to a new high by swearing in three BJP leaders as nominated MLAs of the UT’s Assembly on Tuesday night. While the media was kept away, MLAs of the pro-BJP NR Congress party were allowed to witness the secret swearing-in at the Raj Nivas. Bedi decided to swear in the MLAs, nominated by the Centre, after Speaker V. Vaithlingam delayed the swearing-in, pointing out that the nominations had been challenged in the high court. The latest confrontation could only worsen the stand-off between Bedi and Narayanaswamy, with the latter accusing the former cop of transgressing into the powers of the elected government.
Judging by cover
Books by judges are usually in high demand. But publishers aren’t excited by news that Justice (retd) C.S. Karnan wants to pen his memoirs from prison. The top ones have decided to keep a healthy distance. Since there is a media gag on Karnan’s statements, a book may be quite a gamble. Of course, self-publishing is quite the thing these days. A leading publisher recently turned down another former SC judge who wanted to write a book about what’s wrong with India (by which he apparently meant almost everything). At the top of the publishers’ list of concerns was the swiftness of his many retractions.
Overheard“Aap yahan bhi shuru ho gaye! (You’re at it here too!)” Ravi Shankar Prasad told Tarun Vijay when he gifted a Tamil book to Prasad’s daughter at her wedding with a Tam-Brahm.
