Feroze Shah Kotla Ground in Delhi has suddenly earned tremendous notoriety when the India-Sri Lanka one-day cricket match had to be abandoned due to a bad pitch. This has naturally turned everybody’s attention to the role of the DDCA office-bearers, more so its president, who is none other than the Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha and the BJP’s spin doctor, Arun Jaitley.
Every time journalists visit his room while a cricket match is on, which these days is the rule rather than an exception, Jaitley is busy watching the match on his TV screen.
Just before the winter session of Parliament ended, Jaitley in his passion for the game organised a match between MPs and journalists. He enlisted some top former cricketers like Mohammad Azharuddin to play against journalists.
But when journalists asked him to let out Feroze Shah Kotla Ground for this match, he refused to oblige saying he wouldn’t want to spoil the pitch. And this comment became a big subject of discussion in the media when the India-Sri Lanka match was scrapped because of the condition of the pitch.
Every year he organises a lunch, all vegetarian, for farmers and invites almost every known and unknown media person. This year too he remained unfazed and invited all to his 16, Ashoka Road residence.
Through a strange coincidence the luncheon invitation arrived in media offices almost simultaneously with the news from the Union Home Ministry that it has extracted from Delhi’s Lt. Governor Tejinder Khanna the sanction to prosecute Sajjan Kumar for his alleged involvement in the 1984 riots.
The Prime Minster’s Office contacted almost every MoS, seeking his/her consent for accompanying the Vice-President. Finally, Minister of State for Labour Harish Rawat reluctantly agreed to go on the trip during which several agreements are expected to be signed by India with Zambia, Malawi and Botswana.n
Contributed by Anita Katyal, Faraz Ahmad and Ashok Tuteja
Every time journalists visit his room while a cricket match is on, which these days is the rule rather than an exception, Jaitley is busy watching the match on his TV screen.
Just before the winter session of Parliament ended, Jaitley in his passion for the game organised a match between MPs and journalists. He enlisted some top former cricketers like Mohammad Azharuddin to play against journalists.
But when journalists asked him to let out Feroze Shah Kotla Ground for this match, he refused to oblige saying he wouldn’t want to spoil the pitch. And this comment became a big subject of discussion in the media when the India-Sri Lanka match was scrapped because of the condition of the pitch.
Sajjan Kumar’s lunch for farmers
Congress strongman from outer Delhi Sajjan Kumar is a man who never says die. Ever since he was implicated in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, he has often been denied the party ticket and forced to sit out, but he has not lost his zest and zing. Every year he organises a lunch, all vegetarian, for farmers and invites almost every known and unknown media person. This year too he remained unfazed and invited all to his 16, Ashoka Road residence.
Through a strange coincidence the luncheon invitation arrived in media offices almost simultaneously with the news from the Union Home Ministry that it has extracted from Delhi’s Lt. Governor Tejinder Khanna the sanction to prosecute Sajjan Kumar for his alleged involvement in the 1984 riots.
Ministers reluctant to go to Africa
It turned out to be quite a herculean task for the government to find a Minister of State to travel as the Minister-in-Waiting with Vice-President Hamid Ansari on his coming three-nation tour of Africa.The Prime Minster’s Office contacted almost every MoS, seeking his/her consent for accompanying the Vice-President. Finally, Minister of State for Labour Harish Rawat reluctantly agreed to go on the trip during which several agreements are expected to be signed by India with Zambia, Malawi and Botswana.n
Contributed by Anita Katyal, Faraz Ahmad and Ashok Tuteja
Source: The Tribune, Chandigarh, India.
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