Reference Back to Context
Jairam Ramesh, the AICC general secretary in charge of communication, was a talking point at the wedding reception of Punjab Congress MP Amar Singh’s son Anmol. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was heard telling her party president Mallikarjun Kharge, “Your Chanakya reference was so apt”. As Kharge smiled, Rahul Gandhi quipped, “I thought you liked him a lot”. The Chanakya reference was to Kharge’s left handed compliment to Jairam Ramesh in the Rajya Sabha. When Kharge was speaking in the House, he was searching for a suitable description for Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Jairam Ramesh, who was sitting close to Kharge, whispered helpfully, “Chanakya”. Kharge smiled and acceded. He went on to describe Amit Shah as Chanakya but then added a kicker of his own, saying “We also have a Chanakya”. Quite adept at Headquarter politics, Jairam has been quite an active Chanakya and clearly Kharge has taken note. As may have Priyanka.
Tell Teacher
Last week, BJP’s Anurag Thakur stood up on the floor of the House and complained to the Speaker Om Birla that one of the TMC MPs was vaping in the house, an activity which is forbidden. The Speaker was quick to censure the Opposition MP. Later on the veteran Saugata Roy was seen vaping outside the House but on the premises of Parliament by two of his parliamentary colleagues, Union Ministers Gajendra Shekhawat and Giriraj Kishore who then gave their fellow MP a lecture on the health dangers of smoking. But hands were shaken post that, as each went on their respective ways.
Get Social, Not Political
In the last week, social media trolls have had a field day targeting MPs for socialising with each other, cutting across party lines. First there was a video of Mahua Moitra, Supriya Sule, Sushmita Dev dancing along with BJP MPs Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Kangana Ranaut and Navin Jindal. The occasion was Jindal’s daughter’s wedding. Later in the week, it was time to celebrate NCP leader Sharad Pawar’s 85th birthday, which again saw leaders cutting across party lines attend a dinner hosted by him. The list included his estranged nephew Ajit Pawar along with Praful Patel. Industrialist Gautam Adani was present as were Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. Again this cross party bonhomie came under fire on social media. This is a sign of the times we live in because such interactions should normally not come under censure. We have seen this kind of social interaction even during A.B. Vajpayee and Dr Manmohan Singh’s prime-ministerships. But the level of interaction between the Treasury Benches and the Opposition is so low that the level of normal has also shifted drastically. How can you come to fisticuffs in Parliament and then break bread together in the evening, fume the trolls. A reel of Shahrukh Khan is also doing the rounds where he is quoting a BJP MP telling him that there is not much difference between politicians and actors except for the fact that actors greet each other warmly in public but bitch about each other in private; whereas politicians attack each other in public but hug in private. Touché.
The Suit & Tie Protocol
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla was recently heard commenting on TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee’s wardrobe when he wore a suit and tie to the House. The Speaker took note of this and commented wryly that he hoped the MP’s speech would also follow the suit-and-tie protocol. Given that Kalyan Banerjee is known for his theatrics, some of them not quite politically correct, it was not too difficult to fathom the meaning behind the Speaker’s words. And true to form, his attire may have changed but the feisty MP did not mince any words against the Treasury Benches in his rather dramatic speech.
Share and Not Share Alike
The affable Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav took on the government during the debate on electoral reforms. He did not mince his words but couched his attack with his trademark wry smile that has earned him the reputation of delivering steel punches with velvet gloves. Interestingly, when he spoke about doing away with electoral bonds as part of the reform agenda, he pointed out that the ones who benefited the most were the BJP. And then he looked over his shoulder towards the Congress benches and added, “The second one to benefit was the Congress and though they are our allies they have not shared their secret with me.” Well, forget the bonds, Akhilesh better be warned for there seems to be a move underway whereby the Congress leadership is being advised by its local unit in the state, not to do any seat sharing with the SP in Uttar Pradesh but to go it alone.
