Eavesdropper

A love-hate relationship

Taking charge of his ministry on Wednesday, new HRD minister Pallam Raju's first job was to defend his ministerial colleague Shashi Tharoor who is once again in the thick of controversy. Terming BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi's taunt that Tharoor be made minister of "love affairs" as unfair, Raju said: "It is unfair to comment on a person as experienced as him. He is a scholar with great skill." Naqvi had earlier in the day commented that for an international love guru like Tharoor, a ministry of love affairs should be created.

Beer for thought

While talking about strengthening business ties with India, Miloslav Stasek, ambassador of the Czech Republic to India, said that Czech beer companies might show their products in India next year as, despite being a small country, the per capita consumption of beer is almost 160 litres while that of India is only 1.6 litres. "We are the largest consumers of beer and our beer companies might showcase their products," he said when asked about his investment plans in India.

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