Chhattisgarh
Not Raising a Toast
Chhattisgarh minister Brijmohan Agrawal isn’t raising a toast to his government passing a Bill in March to sell liquor through government outlets. Agrawal has been repeatedly asking officials to ensure that liquor vends don’t set up shop near temples, mosques and educational institution. The concerns of Agrawal, number two in Raman Singh’s Cabinet, has earned him brownie points. The Supreme Court also recently upheld a liquor sale ban on highways.
Creating a Yoga Record
The BJP-ruled state outdid all the other states on International Yoga Day, with over five million people performing asanas at 11,000 venues on June 21. Most of the participants were primitive tribals groups, prisoners in every jail, differently-abled people, people from the third genders, youths, the elderly, students, government and corporate employees and security forces. An observer from the Golden Book of World Record handed over a Certificate of Excellence to CM Raman Singh for the feat.
Maharashtra
Sleepy Daze
MNS chief Raj Thackeray is a changed man. Earlier, he started his day post-noon and stayed awake most of the night. But now he has adopted the ‘early to bed, early to rise’ mantra. What woke him up was that while in Aurangabad a few months ago, Thackeray asked a local leader to arrange food for him during a court hearing. He later realised that the leader had quit MNS months ago.
Self-respect and Rancour
Farmers’ organisation Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana, which challenged the Congress-NCP and NCP chief Sharad Pawar in Western Maharashtra, is hit by bitterness between two of its top leaders. Lok Sabha member Raju Shetti and MoS Sadabhau Khot don’t see eye to eye on any issue. Last week while Shetti was chatting with journalists in the state secretariat, Khot passed by. When journalists started talking to him, the two leaders avoided eye contact with each for well over 15 minutes.
Punjab
Forgetful Sidhu
Navjot Singh Sidhu is famous for shooting off his mouth. These days the Local Bodies and Culture and Tourism Minister has upped the ante against former CM Parkash Singh Badal and his son Sukhbir Singh Badal. However, Sidhu forgets where he is speaking and fails to maintain decorum in his rhetoric. Assembly Speaker Rana K P Singh has ti intervene and stop Sidhu from voicing his opinions against the Badals and expunge his remarks. Whenever Parliamentary Affairs Minister Bharam Mohindra gets up to speak, Sidhu makes him sit down. Opposition benches can’t understand in which capacity Sidhu speaks in the Assembly—as the leader of the House or leader of Opposition.
Going by Vaastu
Punjab Cabinet ministers, including CM Capt Amarinder Singh, are redoing their offices as per vaastu. Sources say this is being done to ensure smooth working of the CM and his staff, but the rumour is that the vaastu compliance is to avoid any controversy.
Unhappy with ‘High Handedness’
INLD leaders are unhappy with Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar and his staff. When party leaders and leader of the Opposition went to meet him at his official residence about waiving farmers’ loans, the security staff frisked them and and took away their cellphones. The insulted visitors handed over their memorandum to an official and left with meeting the CM