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Despite some big news developments last week including alleged favouritism in loan dealings at ICICI Bank and communal riots in West Bengal during Ram Navami, British film director Christopher Nolan’s (pictured) trip to India seems to have stolen a march over other news... at least in the web world. The hashtag #christophernolaninIndia trended as the most popular Twitter handle in India last week. While a lot of the activity was courtesy celebrities such as Shah Rukh Khan posting their pictures with Nolan, a section of Twitter users also used the opportunity to take a dig at Nolan. “Christopher Nolan would visit Mumbai for a Q&A session. His manager clarified that he will answer only a few questions. Most other questions, the audience will be expected to guess the answer,” tweeted Atul Khatri, a popular comedian.
Naidu’s plans
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu is slated to spend the next couple of days in New Delhi, and preparations are afoot at Andhra Pradesh Bhavan. He has invited floor leaders of all regional parties for a sumptuous dinner at Andhra Bhavan on Tuesday. However, he has not invited leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress. He has also not invited leaders of rival YSR Congress Party (YSRCP). If Naidu is hosting regional leaders on Tuesday, YSRCP Lok Sabha MPs are planning to resign from the House on Friday, the last day of the ongoing Budget session, and also sit on a hunger strike on the premises of Andhra Pradesh Bhavan that day if their demand for special category status for their state is not met by the central government. Naidu’s decision to keep the BJP and the Congress at arm’s length has something to do with him blaming the BJP-led Narendra Modi government for not honouring the Centre’s commitments made to Andhra Pradesh, and the Congress for bifurcating the state in 2014.
Bandh effect on BJP
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Amit Shah was scheduled to travel to poll-bound Karnataka on Monday and address three meetings in Belgaum. However, they were called off at the last minute. BJP sources claimed Parliamentary work, particularly in the Rajya Sabha, made Shah cancel his programmes and the meetings will take place later this month. But they couldn’t fully dismiss speculation that the change in itinerary had much to do with the “Bharat bandh” call by Dalit organisations. Last week, Shah had to face protests by Dalit leaders who had objected to BJP Lok Sabha MP Anant Kumar Hegde’s offensive remarks to describe the community. On Monday evening,the BJP said Shah would address “an OBC convention” in Karnataka on Tuesday.
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