A Doordarshan interviewer asked Narendra Modi what he thought of Priyanka Gandhi. Was she a formidable rival? Na re baba, na, Modi said. More like a daughter. So sweet of him. Now, that remark has triggered another controversy. How could Modi call Priyanka his daughter? Don’t appreciate the comment, she said. For her, daddy is Rajiv, and Rajiv alone. In other words, she showed Modi the door. Yes, door darshan.
Then came Finance Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram’s turn to taunt the honorary dad. His take: Modi is free to feel paternal, but for Priyanka, Rajiv is eternal.
Doordarshan, allegedly free and fair, edited out Modi’s comment that daughters were never targeted in a political battle. And then, as always in any such controversy, other busybodies jumped in and demanded an apology. For claiming appa status, appalogy from Modi.
See, if Sushma Swaraj admits to maternal feelings about Priyanka, she might have to tender an ammalogy. Appalogy, ammalogy, akkalogy.... What a family pack of remorseful feelings! Sorry jahan se achcha, Hindustan hamara.
Another Sorry Story
Manish Tiwari, the Congress spokesman so combative he often defeats his own party’s best interests, has apologised to Nitin Gadkari. As you know, Gadkari is one of BJP’s biggest leaders. (Oh Gad! Stop giggling. We’ll say tallest instead of biggest... since you want us to be politically correct even if we’re factually incorrect.) Tiwari, known to demolish any argument by droning on like a dour aunt armed with a law degree, had accused Gadkari of holding a flat at Adarsh, that controversial skyscraper in Mumbai. Benami, in the name of his driver.
That made Gadkari angry, of course. He went and filed a defamation suit. A year on, Tiwari is sorry. And while these two luminaries kiss and make up, no one has yet cracked the Adarsh mystery. Land was grabbed from war widows, and influential people live there in luxury flats to this day. Manishji, who moved the money, ji?
Yash versus Chidu
P Chidambaram, who could be mistaken for a model for executive dhotis, has just described the BJP’s Yashwant Sinha as India’s worst post-liberalisation finance minister. Sinha has returned the compliment, calling Chidambaram India’s cleverest finance minister who played fraud with the budgets. Both under Sinha and Chidambaram, the rich have got richer, and the poor have got poorer, so we’ll have to refer this to a third umpire. As for our economy, with such distinguished leaders as Chidambaram, it’s always one step forward, two steps Harvard, no?
Finally
* Election Commission brand ambassador Brahmanandam skips voting as he can’t find his name on the list.
Big deal. As if Sachin drinks Boost after starring in those ads.
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