Snub leaves MLA embarrassed

The cremation of CRPF jawan Tilak Raj in Jawali on Saturday was heartrending and emotional as thousands gathered to pay their last respects to the martyr of the Phulwana attack. However, some politicians did not stop their gibberish activities even at this somber occasion. An MLA was keen on getting his photos clicked with the wailing parents of the martyr. He asked a photo journalist to click his photo with the parents of the martyr. The photo journalist, however, snubbed the MLA and reminded him that the occasion was cremation of a martyr and not at a marriage party that he should pose for pictures. The snub by photo journalist left the MLA quite embarrassed.

Rathore on “please-all mode”

State Congress president Kuldeep Rathore is on a “please-all mode” these days as the state unit is considering taking back the rebels ahead of the Lok Sabha elections due later this year.He is keen to avoid confrontation with any leader, especially senior ones, lest they turn against him. Rathore has refused to take back Puran Chand Thakur, a former DCC Mandi Congress president, who allegedly worked against Kaul Singh Thakur, a senior leader from Mandi, who lost the last Assembly elections”.Rathore was a staunch supporter of Kaul Singh Thakur when he was state president and a claimant for the post of Chief Minister in 2012-13. Grapewine has it that Rathore sought the blessings of Virbhadra Singh who was hell-bent on ousting his predecessor Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu. He made Raja’s son Vikramaditya Singh state general secretary and Yashwant Chajta, a stooge of Virbhadra Singh, as Shimla rural president as a bargain, revealed insiders. Similarly, GS Bali’s son was also elevated as general secretary to please the Kangra veteran.

‘Trust old fraternity’

Replying to the debate on the budget proposals in the Vidhan Sabha, Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur told Leader of Opposition Mukesh Agnihotri to at least trust his old fraternity if no one else in lauding the budget. “I am surprised that not a single word of appreciation has come from my friends in the Congress, who could not find even a single positive in the budget”, he said. “Mukesh ji, the newspapers on the next day of the budget, had appreciated my proposals. At least trust them if not anyone else, after all they are your old buddies,” he remarked. Agnihotri was a journalist before he joined politics. As such he is expected to have a close affinity with “journos.”

Lessons in etiquette

There was unanimity among senior legislators, both from the BJP and Congress, in the Vidhan Sabha on the need for lessons and training for the first-time MLAs in etiquette. Congress legislator and five-time MLA Asha Kumari ticked off a first-time BJP MLA from Una for making comments against Leader of Opposition Mukesh Agnihotri. “One should know what he or she is uttering about another MLA and above all demeaning the institution of the MLA and looking up to bureaucrats is as if we all (MLAs) are illiterate and uncouth,” she remarked.A majority, both in the BJP and the Congress, agreed with her and said there is a certain degree of courtesy which all legislators must extend to each other. “We might be political opponents but we are certainly not enemies and share a great camaraderie,” said one BJP legislator while condemning the behaviour of his own party MLA.

Contributed by Lalit Mohan, Kuldeep Chauhan and Pratibha Chauhan