Off the record: July 5, 2020

Exposing Hurriyat

Senior separatist leader, Syed Ali Geelani’s resignation from Hurriyat conference is more than his divorce to the separatist politics. His two-page resignation endorses in detail that the Hurriyat leaders had been resorting to financial irregularities and other corruption only to mint personal fortunes. Well from building mansions for personal living to sending kids aboard for a better future, the Hurriyat leaders have been living a princely life. But from where would this money come? This question used to be a mystery until Geelani recently spilt the beans. But then, a majority of Hurriyat leaders including Geelani’s rival Mirwaiz Umar Farooq have been silent over the allegations. Was Hurriyat another name for business?

Zulfikar Majid, Srinagar

Weakened Chouhan

As Madhya Pradesh chief minister for 14 long years, Shivraj Singh Chouhan had never looked so undermined by the BJP high command as he is today, thanks to Jyotiraditya Scindia. In his three terms in the past, Chouhan had had smooth sailing in choosing his team of ministers. But in the cabinet expansion on Thursday, he was denied permission to induct his trusted aides of the past while Scindia supporters have dominated the ministry. In department allocation too, Chouhan is under tremendous pressure. Scindia wants all important portfolios for his acolytes. The high command is reported to have told the chief minister to oblige the turncoat politician whose revolt against the Congress-led to the fall of the Kamal Nath government in March.

Rakesh Dixit, Bhopal

Mamata’s way

For politicians, especially those who are sitting MLAs and MPs of the ruling party, a state a review meeting called by the party supremo is almost always a cause for concern. With a political career spanning over decades, West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee knows better than anyone else. She struck the right chord at a recent meeting with MLAs. She started the meeting by asking MLAs who wanted to contest the next Assembly elections in 2021 to raise their hands. The MLAs were a bit taken aback but promptly raised their hands. Except for one of them. “Don’t you want to contest elections anymore?” came a question from Mamata. Immediately that MLA raised his hand, visibly embarrassed. TMC sources said Mamata wanted to remind her MLAs that without performance they will not get the party ticket.

Soumya Das, Kolkata

Word wars

When Prime Minister Narendra Modi landed in Leh on a surprise visit on July 3, his supporters were gushing with praise on how the 69-year-old leader effortlessly went about the day-long visit at 11,000 feet where oxygen levels are low. Perhaps, it was for the first time any reference was made to the age of the Prime Minister.

As Modi’s supporters went gaga over his trip to Ladakh and a powerful address to the soldiers, Congress tried to spoil the party by flooding social networking platforms with the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit to Siachen glacier in 2005, located at a much higher altitude than Leh. The reports also highlighted that Singh was the first prime minister to visit Siachen, that too at the age of 73 and after having undergone a heart procedure a couple of years back.

Sagar Kulkarni, New Delhi

Election prep

Lok Janashakti Party patron and Union Minister Ramvilas Paswan was the toast of the political class on Sunday when he turned 74. Prime Minister Narendra Modi described him as a major asset for the Government on account of his administrative experience and insight on key policy issues. BJP leaders showered praise on the veteran leader who has been a minister in every government since 1996. The latest overtures of the BJP to Paswan come ahead of the Bihar assembly elections later this year where LJP may have to cede ground to JD(U) the senior alliance partner of the BJP in the state.

Sagar Kulkarni, New Delhi