RAISINA TATTLE: Farewell speeches are like swan songs for MPs

MP Meghraj Jain

MP Meghraj Jain

Farewell speeches are like swan songs for MPs.

But for Rajya Sabha MP Meghraj Jain, it was his maiden speech as well!

Left with his only chance, Jain said he wanted the government to drop plans for introducing Bt Cotton and Bt Brinjal as that would ruin farmers.

It was difficult to say whether Jain will remember the occasion for his maiden or farewell speech in the Rajya Sabha.

 

The journalist's plight

This is one more instance to show how VIP security affects the common man.

A journalist was stuck on the eighth floor of the New Delhi City Centre at 1, Jaisingh Road which houses the office of the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee.

Later, he saw that elevators on the ground floor were also stuck.

Soon, he found out why. The Union home secretary was in the building to inspect six floors the home ministry has taken.

And overzealous security personnel had done what was perhaps only expected of them.

They had switched off the lifts till the officer had moved out of the building - regardless of how that would affect everyone else in the building.

 

Worried Antony

Union Defence Minister AK Antony

Union Defence Minister AK Antony

Defence minister A.K. Antony is worried over the skyrocketing cost of equipment.

The development of the Light Combat Aircraft for the air force will now cost `5,777.5 crore.
Its naval version will cost over `1,714.98 crore.

The Kaveri aero engine, being developed with foreign assistance, will need `2,839 crore.

The airborne early warning and control system — the eye in sky project — will have investment of `2,157 crore.

The long-range surface-to-air missile will need `2,606 crore.

All key projects to develop homegrown modern warfare systems have overshot the budgets and deadlines.

 

Pacifying Mamata

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee

With a day left for the withdrawal of nominations for the Rajya Sabha elections, the Congress party

appears to be at a loss over what to do with its West Bengal candidate Abdul Mannan.

Even though the party nominated him on Sunday, it developed cold feet by Tuesday, following grim singals from Mamata Banerjee.

The party is now cajoling Mannan to pacify Mamata and contest the polls if she backs him. With the entire PCC livid with Didi, Mannan is apprehensive about meeting her.

The Congress, which has 42 MLAs, is short of seven votes to get its candidate elected.

But Mannan could win with the help of the Left parties and Trinamool Congress rebels if the

Congress high command allows him to contest.



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