First to invite

The Union ministry of external affairs is still waiting to decide what courtesies are to be extended to Carla Bruni during French President Nicholas Sarkozy’s visit to India for Republic Day. Union Commerce Minister Kamal Nath has, however, already invited the glamorous Bruni for a private lunch which he is throwing for the benefit of France’s Minister for Economy,

Finance & Employment Christine Lagarde.

Eating out of her hands

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati is one of the few politicians who can get away with keeping the entire press corps of Delhi waiting for almost an hour. For her 52nd birthday, she was not just 45 minutes late, but even after her arrival, she concentrated first on her birthday festivities rather than the scheduled press conference. The media watched patiently as Mayawati’s kin, which included her father, mother and two brothers and their wives, as well as the family of her close lieutenant Satish Chandra Mishra, sang ‘Happy Birthday!’ and each one popped a piece of cake into the Uttar Pradesh czarina’s mouth. Mayawati’s diamond necklace, diamond earrings and gold bangles glittered and Mishra’s wife was equally sparkling in diamonds. Even the long row of key officials from Lucknow who were flown down just for the occasion were dressed in their Sunday best, contrasting with the casually dressed media contingent. Every lamppost on the road from Mayawati’s bungalow on Humayun Road to the conference venue at the Taj Hotel had a big photograph of “messiah Mayawati” radiating light with her arm outstretched. No one from the national media asked any probing questions about the cost of Mayawati’s birthday extravaganza to the state or why public funds should be used for her personal glorification. The national media let Mayawati do most of the talking.

Address, the problem

Union Minister of State for Commerce Jairam Ramesh is back in the prestigious Congress party committee on future challenges, which is believed to have been set up at Rahul Gandhi’s initiative. The reason for Ramesh’s sudden removal as convener of the committee continues to be shrouded in mystery. It is suspected that his real crime was that he distributed Rahul Gandhi’s private e-mail address to the members. The e-mail address, incidentally, carries his mother’s maiden name, Maino.

Double standards

It was a curious argument for the DMK government to offer in its review petition to the Supreme Court challenging the Madras High Court’s ban on Jallikattu, the cruel Pongal rite involving the torture of bulls. The state government counsel pleaded that Jallikattu be permitted as it was an age-old religious practice and attracted many devotees whose religious beliefs would be hurt if the festival was stopped.

Justice Raveendran, who was part of the three member bench, wondered if Tamil Nadu was wise in proffering such an argument, because he could recall another case coming up in the Supreme Court where the same government had filed the exactly opposite point of view relating to the religious views of a huge number of people. He was referring, of course, to the Setu Samudram case, where the DMK has shown scant concern for the religious sentiments of those who believe in the existence of Ram Setu.

Hey Ram

Union Tourism & Culture Minister Ambika Soni, who was in the doghouse for the Ram Setu affidavit which denied the existence of Lord Rama, has recently placed a small statuette of Ram, Lakshman, Sita and Hanuman in the cupboard facing her office table. She wants the world to know that she too is a believer.