Style statement

Sushilkumar Shinde seems to be trying to make a style statement after becoming the Home Minister. For a start, he is experimenting with different kinds of hats. During his recent visit to Jammu and Kashmir, he was seen wearing a flat cap through most of the public functions. The other day, at the Raising Day parade of the NSG in Manesar, Shinde opted for a version of Hardee hat, that once used to be very popular with Army officers.

MAKING A POINT

IF you can't block the message, try to negotiate with the messenger. With its back to the wall, as one 'expose' after another is emerging almost on a daily basis, the government on Thursday invited editors of television channels for a discussion over lunch. The GoM on Media played host, with the member ministers using the opportunity to try and reason out that a vitiated atmosphere was the result of a 24x7 'sensationalism' news shown on television screens. In his opening remarks, Finance Minister P Chidambaram made the point that in the din over all sorts of allegations, the very important economic decisions that the government had recently announced, got sidelined. Considering the nature of 24x7 television news, however, it remains to be seen how much the government was able to persuade them to change their natural instinct.

INVITED OR NOT?

THERE was a stampede of sorts to manage an invite for a glitzy wedding reception on Thursday in the capital. The event was the "Dawat-e-Walima" of Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor, being hosted by Sharmila Tagore. The buzz was that even the status of a Cabinet minister was no guarantee for getting an invite. But everyone who considers himself or herself a heavyweight in the city, wanted to be seen at the party of the season. So the aides of many MPs, ministers and bureaucrats were making frantic phone calls to find out whether their bosses have received the invite or not. The winners and losers will become known in a couple of days.

... contd.

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