Rahul upset with Delhi Congress leadership over padyatra strategy
Though Congress star campaigner Rahul Gandhi’s no-show at the scheduled rallies has been attributed to his poor health, he is also reportedly miffed with his Delhi party unit’s “unpreparedness” for the February 5 polls. According to sources, the Congress idea to hold padayatras by Rahul as well as Priyanka Gandhi Vadra hit the roadblock because of the lack of planning by the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee.
Sources said that Rahul was expected to begin the first padayatra to campaign for Congress’ New Delhi candidate Sandeep Dikshit on January 20 from Valmiki Temple. The place assumes significance as former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal launched the ‘broom’ as AAP’s party symbol in 2013 here.
However, Gandhi got mightily upset during a Zoom meeting with the state unit leaders to discuss the strategies for the padayatra. Miffed and exasperated Gandhi then stormed out of the meeting after the state leaders failed to give a clear roadmap for the programme. Gandhi also asked them to prepare a concrete action plan before hitting the poll trail. Besides Gandhi, Priyanka also attended the Zoom meeting.
In a first, IPS Alankrita Singh’s suspension revoked, VRS accepted
Possibly a first of its kind, the government has decided to revoke the suspension of 2008-batch IPS officer of UP cadre Alankrita Singh. Believed to be settled in London, Singh’s application for voluntary retirement (VRS) has been accepted. The corridors of the North Block have been abuzz with a sense of surprise over the sudden decision of accepting the VRS application despite her being put under suspension.
Singh was suspended from the service on charges of dereliction of duty and indiscipline after reports surfaced that she had gone to London without taking formal approval from the competent authority. She was SP of Women and Child Safety Department at that time. The senior IPS officer was not attending office since October 20, 2021. It is learnt that Singh’s suspension was revoked and the VRS was accepted by the cadre controlling authority following a recommendation by the UP government.
Emotions, nostalgia and book-lover president Prabowo Subianto
Prabowo Subianto, President of Indonesia, was the chief guest for Republic Day celebrations. A former Army officer and defence minister, Prabowo met Prime Minister Modi during the G20 summit in Brazil last November and was thrilled about his visit to India. He refers to PM Modi as his “good brother” and has been vocal about the significance of this visit.
While preparing for his trip, President Prabowo frequently discussed the deep historical ties between India and Indonesia, mentioning how President Sukarno was the first R-Day guest, India was the first country to advocate for Indonesian independence at the UN, and even how India gifted land for Indonesia’s embassy.
Prabowo is also quite hands-on — he met with the Indonesian marching contingent during their rehearsals a couple of times to cheer them on. He also made sure to check out a bookstore in Khan Market on Saturday, a move that won’t surprise anyone who knows his love for books. The President has often shared his admiration for authors like Alexandre Dumas and Paulo Coelho, making his bookstore visit just another charming glimpse into his personal side.