Candid Notes

Baba’s Babu

A Baba who in his holy pursuit of popularising Yoga in different parts of the world established a mega industrial unit and a brand which has made established corporate houses running for cover, has hired a very controversial former bureaucrat as head of his business operations. This bureaucrat once lorded over the administration of this Himalayan State with such pincer like approach that a former CM created a special post for him after superannuation so that his reign remains unheralded. After retirement this babu, who is said to have amassed a fortune during his service time, had made up his mind to take an electoral plunge but wary of controversy shrouding over his persona both the major political parties kept a distance from him. In the new avatar, the manoeuvring babu with a dubious track record is entrusted with the task of taking the brand and business of Baba, the self proclaimed anti-corruption crusader, to new heights.

Sealing Stigma

The haste in which the house and library of Late Lieutenant General (rtd) Hanut Singh popularly known as Saint General for his spiritual pursuits was sealed by the Municipal Corporation of Dehradun has stoked speculations about real motive behind the move. It is being conjectured that a powerful lobby headed by a top bureaucrat is behind the whole game of sealing and is aimed at grabbing the prime property located on the high end Rajpur road. This lobby backed by some real estate developers is even said to be eyeing a big chunk of Government land juxtaposed to the residence of Saint General. If this is true, then the Government should act fast to foil the nefarious plans of land grabbers. The sealing of the house of the war hero has agitated his followers and armed forces veterans across the country so it is advisable that the property should be converted into a war memorial in remembrance of the brave soldier.

Haridwar hassle

The much hyped programme of immersion of ashes of former PM, Late Atal Bihari Vajpayee in Holy Ganga at Har Ki Paidi exposed fissure lines in Haridwar BJP before its central leaders. The internal bickering within the party stalwarts was so intense that the venue where ashes were to be first of all kept and taken in a ceremonial procession was changed twice. Under stress from the warring leaders, a beleaguered district administration was at its wits end to make the mega event a success. The BJP in Haridwar is sharply divided into three distinct camps. To offset the influence of the section owing affiliation to powerful Cabinet Minister Madan Kaushik , the camps headed by another senior cabinet Minister and a Member of Parliament (MP) have joined ranks. This bickering however has not gone down well with the central leadership which is said to have told the warring factions to call truce immediately.