On My Radar: Time Will Tell Who Will ‘Thoko Taali’In Punjab

Cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu has come a long way since his batting days. Now, he is trying to play first-class political games by hitting boundaries in the field which is tougher than the cricket stadiums. He has proved his talent by becoming new Punjab Pradesh Congress president. It is a big feat for Amritsar MLA as he has got himself elevated in just four years of coming into the Congress fold

from the BJP. But the real test is a few months away when Punjab goes for Assembly polls. On Friday, Sidhu, finally, met CM Captain Amarinder Singh who was opposing his elevation. Sidhu assumed charge as Punjab Congress president in the presence of the CM. Sidhu greeted the CM with folded hands and broke the ice by saying: “How are you, Sir? Such a pleasure.” Sidhu was about to sit across the table from the CM, who was already seated, but was asked to sit next to him. This was the first time in nearly four months that Sidhu and the CM met each other. It seems, the Congress high-command had its way in installing Sidhu as the party head in Punjab as he is a “strong face” against the main rival party, Shriomani Akali Dal. To silence his critics in the state Congress as they dubbed him as an “outsider”, Sidhu some days ago tweeted a photo of his father with first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Lal Nehru and said: “To share prosperity, privilege & freedom not just among a few but among all, My father a Congress worker left a royal household & joined freedom struggle, was sentenced to death for his patriotic work reprieved by King’s Amnesty became DCC President, MLA, MLC & Advocate General.” Sidhu told The Sunday Guardian: “My fights are not the issue, it is the farmers sitting in Delhi, protesting TET qualified teachers, the problems of doctors and nurses which are the real issues for the party.” A senior SAD leader told The Sunday Guardian that “only time will tell who will ‘Thoko Taali’ as Sidhu is bound to make the party a laughter show…politics and winning elections are not a laughing matter.” Sidhu became famous for his“Thoko Taali” utterances at a popular TV laughter show.

Sherry Was Once Cautioned By Father
Long back, in November 1978, the 14-year-old Navjot Singh Sidhu (Sherry) scored an unbeaten 69 against Delhi while playing for Punjab in the inter-state Cooch Behar (U-19) cricket tournament at Delhi’s Feroz Shah Kotla ground. It was a big feat as it came against a strong Delhi attack. Once Sherry returned to the pavilion unconquered, he was surrounded by journalists. It was then that his father Bhagwant Sidhu, manager of the Punjab team, cautioned him against speaking to the media because “Journalists would put words into his mouth”. During his 16-year long cricket career and later as a commentator, Sidhu followed his father’s advice. However, after joining politics, he started revelling at press meets. It appears to be a perfect case of a man changing with the changing times. Thoko Taali!

‘Is Parliament Disruption Only Political Grandstanding?’
New Delhi’s political temperature is going to rise in this rainy season as West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee is going to land to meet PM Narendra Modi. She will explore the possibility of an anti-BJP “National Front”. The TMC has already set the mood in the corridors of power to warmly greet Didi. A TMC Rajya Sabha MP Shantanu Sen on Thursday snatched the papers from the IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw Minister’s hand and tore them into pieces before throwing them towards the Deputy Chairman’s Chair. Sen was suspended on Friday for the remaining part of the session. Rajya Sabha Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu described the incident as “an assault on India’s parliamentary democracy.” Such actions are a clear assault on our parliamentary democracy…Is it only political grandstanding?”

‘Hire Anurag Thakur As Editorial Consultant’
Hindi newspapers’ Bhaskar Group has alleged that its editorial offices were raided by the Income Tax department in many states because it did not toe the government line. The Bhaskar Group has alleged that the IT sleuths were more interested in instructing sub-editors on the desk “what they should carry and what should be deleted”. In a lighter vein, one can say that Bhaskar Group can “hire” Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur as an “Editorial Consultant”. Union Ministers generally ask officials to make a presentation. But young Thakur himself made a presentation for his ministry’s senior officials, telling them that times have changed and “media persons do not have time to go through detailed notes sent by the PIB or the ministry.” Thakur’s advice was that press notes should be brief, and headlines should give a clear idea about what the note is about, to make the government’s messages effective.