The Narendra Modi camp is not taking seriously the BJP president Nitin Gadkari’s endorsement of the chief minister as the next BJP chief and the prime minister. They smell something fishy in his remarks to a leading television channel. Far from wanting to be ‘an ordinary party worker’, Gadkari has announced his intentions to contest the Lok Sabha election from Nagpur, the ground zero of Sangh Parivar’s activities. There is a feeling among BJP leaders of Gujarat that the party would prop up Modi as the next star campaigner so that the BJP is able to garner as many seats as possible. Problems will arise regarding Modi's leadership only when the BJP needs allies to form the next government. In fact, some here believe there will be others like Gadkari in the BJP whose hidden ambitions would surface in the name of becoming a consensus candidate for the PM’s job.
Justifying delay, CM style R ecently, the function to honour and disburse subsidy cheques to Kailash Mansarovar yatris was held after three years. The delay was attributed to chief minister Narendra Modi. Officials of the Gujarat Pavitra Yatradham Vikas Board said that they had sent the file to the CMO but had not got a date for the function for three long years. When the felicitation was organized finally, Modi justified the delay saying the government could have sent the cheques to the yatris’ homes, but it was decided that felicitation would be held once in three years so that the yatris, who may have lost touch over a period of time, could meet again and rekindle their lost friendship! So you see, Modi only had the wellbeing of the yatris in mind while he was sitting over the file for so long!
Tempers fly, airlines grounded
Tempers have been flying higher than some airlines at the Ahmedabad airport in recent times. A war of words between airline officials (some of whom have not been paid their salaries for a couple of months) and flyers has become routine. In two separate incidents last week, security officials were called in to control agitated passengers who were ready to use their fists to resolve arguments with airline staffers over a ticket row. While flyers accuse airline officials of being rude occasionally, the officials say some flyers believe they have not bought a ticket, but the entire airline. What pinches them is the verbal abuse flyers hurl at them at a time when they are not even being paid. Employees of two airlines operating at Ahmedabad airport have not received their salaries for two or more months.
Going gaga over GU
During the opening event of the Indian abroad program – a chapter of Gujarat University and Group of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO), GU vice-chancellor Parimal Trivedi remarked that just as the UK is known globally as the home of universities like Oxford and Cambridge, India will one day be known for the achievements of Gujarat University. This only invited snide remarks from those in the audience. One of them said, “Forget Oxford and Cambridge, let GU first compete with IIM-A, NID, CEPT University and MICA which are right here in Ahmedabad and have already made Gujarat proud!”
A bribe for a bribe
If a senior police official posted in north Gujarat is to be believed, not everyone takes bribes to get rich. He was recently caught red-handed by the anti-corruption bureau while accepting a bribe. During interrogation, he broke down and claimed he took bribes because he had to give bribes. According to him, his seniors had demanded Rs 18 lakh to transfer him to a district of his choice. Some vicious cycles are not that easy to break...
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