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Regional buzz: Capt Amarinder plays badminton, while ML Khattar takes on Rao
Keeping tabs on power politics in Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir.
Look who’s on the court
Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh has started playing badminton. On Sunday, the CM posted on Twitter two photos showing him in action with the caption, “Played badminton after a long time, it was a very rejuvenating experience. I remember playing often at NIS in Patiala”. Raveen Thukral, media adviser to chief minister, said that he and Capt’s grandson Nirvan Singh have been accompanying the CM to a local sports complex in Chandigarh for the past one week to play badminton. Besides helping them stay in shape, the new routine would also perhaps help clear any “misgivings” about Amarinder’s health. (With photo)
Khaira on the backfoot
Aam Aadmi Party leader Sukhpal Singh Khaira, whose petition against the summoning order of a Fazilka court in a drug seizure case was dismissed by the high court last week, claimed complete support of his party. But not all appears to be hunky-dory in the party. Though rival parties – the Congress and the SAD – lost no time in demanding Khaira’s resignation from the post of leader of opposition in Punjab assembly, his party colleagues did not respond with equal alacrity. Punjab AAP president Bhagwant Mann was not reachable the entire day. All calls to his mobile number were being answered by an aide who said that the Sangrur MP had “diverted” his calls to him. When Mann responded, his answer was: “We will study the court order, consult legal experts and then voice our stand”. Talwandi Sabo MLA Baljinder Kaur, who had sought Khaira’s resignation after the court summons, also did not comment, saying the media had twisted her earlier statement.
Parties over party
Left blushing after the all-party MPs meeting fiasco – it was boycotted not just by the Opposition but also Congress members — there are growing murmurs among leaders of the ruling party if chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh is rubbing too many people the wrong way. He refused to meet Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal in Chandigarh over smog crisis and the reason for his absence in MPs meet the same day was cited as his being “unwell”. But the next day, he was at a function in Chandigarh. He also hosted policemen for bursting terror module behind targeted killings in state. Some Congress leaders see it all as CM’s preference for “parties over party”. When BJP leader Tarun Chugh called the CM “power-drunk”, quite a few in the Congress were nodding too.
Badal couple’s green message
A photo showing Union food processing minister Harsimrat Badal planting a sapling and her husband SAD president Sukhbir Badal watering it went viral last week. The photo was shared by many social media enthusiasts. “When you are free, you are close to nature,” wrote one of them while posting the photo on Twitter. Sukhbir was deputy chief minister in the Akali-BJP government for ten years. Harsimrat, a minister at the Centre, is one of the patrons of a non-governmental organisation, Nanhi Chhaan, which promotes environmental protection, women’s empowerment and secularism.
Makkar’s salvo at Badungar
Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Kirpal Singh Badungar’s pro-Khalistan remarks got a sharp reaction from his predecessor Avtar Singh Makkar. “Is he becoming the Khalistan president?” asked Makkar, taking a dig at Badungar. Makkar said the issue was not on the agenda of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), the party to which they both belong. Though Badungar did not respond to Makkar’s comment, one of his close aides accused the former chief of raking up non-issues.
Tea break to banta hai
With the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) meeting in Ludhiana on Friday turning out to be longer than expected, several of those present seemed restless. Party leaders, including MLAs, and workers took breaks by coming out of the meeting hall to sip tea. “Long speeches regarding arrangements for municipal corporation (MC) elections were getting boring. Thank God, there is tea here, and we get a breather,” one of them was heard saying when the meeting that began around noon did not get over even at 2.45 pm.
Khattar takes on Rao
Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar has stopped bothering about the gripes of rivals and party rebels. This was evident at his recent rally where he gave it back to Union minister of state Rao Inderjit Singh who had raised questions non-completion of projects in Ahirwal region. The CM, who used to previously just smile at digs directed at him, ended his silence this time and smartly shifted the blame of pending projects back to Rao Inderjit. He advised Rao Inderjit to be “productive” for Haryana as he represented the state at the Centre being a Union minister.
Flower pots to keep media at bay
At a press conference jointly held by Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar and his Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal on bad air quality, the security personnel at the former’s official residence went overboard – and that too without desired result. They first made a frantic attempt to cordon off the area with a rope to maintain distance between the podium and the throngs of newspersons. When it did not work effectively, they decided to put flower pots in front of the podium. As there were not enough flower pots around, they placed them right in front of scribes to keep them away the two VIPs.
In HP, all eyes on Dec 18
The HP assembly elections are over and opinion polls have not given any clear indications. But several contestants just can’t stop speculating about the poll outcome, which will be declared on December 18, as it would determine the political career for many of them. Three Congress leaders – Sanjay Rattan from Jawalamukhi, Inderdutt Lakhanpal from Badsar and Subash Maglate – take evening strolls on the busy Mall Road, asking acquaintances about what they thing would happen. “This is one way to gather feedback,” says Lakhanpal. A number of others have chosen to stay back in their villages and wait for the result day with bated breath.
Poll over but politics goes on
A week after polling was held for the 68-strong Himachal Pradesh assembly, the Congress and the BJP are still sparring over violation of the model code of conduct, which is in force till December 18. The BJP knocked at the clection commission’s door when the state government transferred two officers the other day, calling alleging it a poll code violation. The Congress, too, did not miss an opportunity to lodge a complaint when BJP MP Anurag Thakur distributed cricket kits in Bilaspur. The leaders from both sides also traded barbs by holding press conferences.
Then Farooq, now Farooq
Known for his shifting stance, National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah, who was in Jammu on Saturday, reiterated his recent statement that PoK belongs to Pakistan and India cannot retrieve it. “Yes, I say it (PoK) belongs to them (Pakistan). Are they (Pakistan) wearing bangles? They also have atom bombs! Do you want us to be killed by them? You are sitting in palaces, think about the poor people living in border areas, who are bombed daily,” he said. The same Farooq had once said bombard Pakistan and throw Hurriyat leaders into Jhelum. He was in power at that time. Chief minister Mehbooba Mufti had even pointed out his changing stand. “He (Farooq) has now started singing different tunes. NC can play with any one’s life even with the lives of women and children to get power,” she said at a function in Srinagar last December.
(Contributed by Gurpreet Singh Nibber, Navneet Sharma, Sukhdeep Kaur, Aneesha Sareen Kumar, Hardik Anand, Rajesh Moudgil, Gaurav Bisht, Naresh K Thakur, Ravi K Khajuria)
