The Last Read
Recently, TMC leader-turned-BJP-member Dinesh Trivedi was asked what he was currently reading. Pat came the reply: “The last thing I read was the Union Rail Budget after which I was immediately fired. Since then I have given up reading.” If you recall, while Trivedi was the Railway Minister in the Manmohan Singh government, from the TMC quota, he delivered a progressive railway budget that did not suit Mamata Banerjee’s brand of politics and as a result, she insisted that he be dropped from the Cabinet. Clearly, Dinesh-bhai hasn’t lost his sense of humour despite his political travails.
The Christmas Bash
The Cherians held their annual Christmas bash after a two-year break thanks to Covid and it was a fun-filled afternoon in the winter sun in the national capital, with politicians cutting across party lines taking a break to enjoy the afternoon. It was interesting to see the ex Congress leaders from Ghulam Nabi Azad, R.P.N. Singh and Jyotiraditya Scindia exchanging notes. Other familiar faces spotted at the event included Hardeep Singh Puri, Janardan Dwivedi, Mukul Wasnik, Anand Sharma, Bhupinder and Deepender Hooda, Dinesh Trivedi, Gul Panag, Vir and Seema Sanghvi, Neeraj Shekhar, Pallam Raju and Pavan Varma. The most sought after was Jyotiraditya Scindia, as everyone wanted an update on the airport queues, what with the holiday season approaching.
The Quip
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann took an interesting pot shot at the Congress recently. Speaking at the India News Manch recently, he quipped that the “Congress change nahin, exchange ban gayi hai” as Congress leaders are always ready to change and join the BJP. He was of course reacting to the constant threats of no confidence against his government in Punjab.