Building Bridges
Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari was pleasantly surprised during a meeting with a delegation of the Sri Lankan government when they asked India to build highways in the island nation, much like Lord Hanuman built the Ram Setu. The mythical bridge spans the Gulf of Mannar from Tamil Nadu to Sri Lanka.
Pedal Pushers
Two MPs and ministers in Narendra Modi’s Cabinet have been joined by a fellow MP to cycle to Parliament. BJP’s Rajya Sabha member Vikas Mahatme is pedalling along to the House with Arjun Ram Meghwal and Mansukh L Mandaviya to Parliament . The grapevine is that Mahatme may now cycle his way into Modi’s cabinet as well.
600 people and 24,811 cattle have died, and 63,215 houses have been damaged in this year’s floods in 20 states
Justice Delayed
For a judge, Teej celebrations come before justice. In the midst of heavy rains at Patiala House Courts when seven separatist leaders were to be produced before Judge Poonam Bhamba, she left the proceedings midway to attend Teej festivities in the court premises. This led to a huge delay in court proceedings.
`8-10 crore will be saved annually by cash-strapped Air India by not serving non-vegetarian meals to economy class passengers on domestic flights
Action Stations
MoS for Defence Subhash Bhamre is not lying low anymore. In the absence of a full-time defence minister, he has been visiting forward Army locations to stay informed on the security scenario on the borders. He is also regularly answering questions in Parliament.
Mr Know It All
Recently-appointed Defence Secretary Sanjay Mitra claims to know everything, especially when it comes to media reports. He has stopped taking daily morning briefings on defence-related newspaper reports from an Additional Director General rank officer, who earlier used to update Mitra’s predecessors on important topics.
TOOTH & NAIL
“Secularism should not be used to justify corruption. We won’t support people who make money using wrong means. People were feeling the stress of the mismatch under the Grand Alliance government.”
Nitish Kumar, JD(U) chief and Bihar CM
“Nitish Kumar is a huge opportunist. He has joined hands with BJP to ensure raids by CBI, ED and Income Tax Department on RJD leaders and my family to malign me. He is an ungrateful person.”
Lalu Prasad Yadav,
RJD chief and former Bihar CM