Party Poopers
The factions have merged, but not the minds. Joint public appearances notwithstanding, all’s not well with relationship between O. Panneerselvam and E. Palaniswami, who replaced him as Tamil Nadu CM. OPS does not visit the CM’s chamber and, even when they share a platform, they hardly interact. OPS meets MLAs and MPs only from his faction. The CM’s refusal to part with the PWD portfolio, a veritable cash cow, is believed have caused this cold war. Common foe Dinakaran’s attempts to destabilise the EPS government may have hit a wall, but there are murmurs of another revolt brewing—this one by OPS.
Proactive Probity
Police officials in Jammu and Kashmir are amused at the NIA’s proactive approach in the state. Recently, the central agency arrested two Kashmiris, including a photojournalist, and accused them of being stone-pelters. Top police officials say they are watching the NIA’s forays in Kashmir with much interest as it goes about summoning and arresting people. While the NIA is operating out of a BSF camp in Humhama, the police are worried whether the raids could lead to a larger law-and-order problem. “We are watching it from a distance. Let us see how things shape up,” says an official. Hurriyat leaders Yasin Malik and Mirwaiz Umer Farooq described NIA as “Gabbar Singh”. On social media, people are telling the police that they may as well take to gardening!
Train To Safety
The turnover of Indian Railways may not be great on the balancesheet, but it has the highest turnover in terms of ministers. Piyush Goyal is the 11th railway minister in the past eight years, and the third in three years of the Modi government. Sources claim the ministry is expected to function like a social and a corporate entity at the same time—a tall order, with the entrenched bureaucracy making it worse. The buzz, though, is Goyal might be just right for steering railways towards corporatisation. We hope he ensures accident-free journeys for the 22 million passengers who travel in Indian trains every day.
Overheard UP CM Yogi Adityanath wants to see files of all “big projects” before they are cleared by the ministry concerned. The file will be routed through his office, but not signed by him.
