Capital Scrap Book
?Chanakya
National Advisory Council, constituted by the UPA, has more than half a dozen government officers working with it. The government has nothing to to with the political council, and one is surprised to know that Pulok Chatterji, former private secretary to Sonia Gandhi and now working as a Joint Secretary in Prime Minister'sOffice, is incharge of coordinating with the NAC. It is said that Pulok Chatterjee is devoting more official time to NAC than to PMO. Grapevine has it that the NAC, when granting any favour to anybody, directs various government departments and ministries by saying that it is the ?NAC desire?.
Leftists are making a fool of the public by giving political statements against the UPA on various matters and projecting themselves as being opposed to the basic policies of the government. At the same time, they keep themselves open for joining a third front in future. It is now a regular feature that whenever the Leftists want any demand fulfilled from the government, they start criticising the government. Almost all the senior officers in the UPA government are either from Kerala or West Bengal cadre. So the comrades feel comfortable in supporting the UPA government and when asked as to why they support the UPA government despite the differences in their ideologies, they protect their skin by offering the plea that they are ?protecting secularism? from the ?communal? BJP. In reality the Leftists know only how to bark as they can never bite so long as their interests are protected.
In the last week of May 2005, Union Health Minister A. Ramdoss organised a dinner at his residence, where almost the entire babudom of the Health Ministry was invited. After the dinner, saris were presented to the women officers and gifts were given to men. Now it is said that the hefty bill for the dinner has been burdened on the public sectors falling under the purview of the Health Ministry. There is a serious discussion in the political circle that the Health Minister gave a farewell party to the officers as the PMK is conducting talks with Jayalalithaa for an alliance with the AIADMK.
Information and Broadcasting Minister Jaipal Reddy, according to gossip in the AICC is about to lose his ministerial berth and is expected to be given a new job in the Congress party. Ambika Soni, a known Sonia loyalist, is all set to replace Reddy. Last week, when some mediapersons asked Ambika Soni about the inclusion of Rahul Gandhi in the CWC, she replied that if he contested the election, he would get full support. When party president, Sonia Gandhi has asked for election of the 25 members of the CWC, how can Ambika openly say that Rahul would get full support for CWC membership? Or is it an open conspiracy to debar the senior Congress members, who are not looked upon kindly by the High Command, from joining the CWC?
