Nishikant Dubey
While the government may have been deferential to international rating agencies by limiting the fiscal component of the Rs 20 lakh crore Covid stimulus package, members of the ruling BJP do not seem enamoured by the agencies. BJP Lok Sabha member Nishikant Dubey is learnt to have sent a letter to PM Narendra Modi cautioning against a “possible Chinese conspiracy” to destabilise the Indian economy by getting India’s sovereign credit ratings downgraded by the “big three” agencies. Reminding that Russia and China do not allow them to operate domestically, Dubey gave suggestions to “discipline” these rating agencies against becoming a de-facto credit regulator in the country.
Samosa Bond
Ahead of the India-Australia virtual summit on June 4, Australian PM Scott Morrison Sunday posted pictures of samosas and called them “ScoMosas”. Morrison is referred to as “ScoMo” by the Australian media. “Sunday ScoMosas with mango chutney, all made from scratch – including the chutney! A pity my meeting with @narendramodi this week is by videolink. They’re vegetarian, I would have liked to share them with him,” the Australian PM tweeted. Pat came the reply from Modi, who said, “Connected by the Indian Ocean, united by the Indian Samosa! Looks delicious.. Once we achieve a decisive victory against COVID-19, we will enjoy the Samosas together.”
Mango Mania
Mangoes are usually used to build bridges between politicos of various shades at this time of the year. But now, Banginapalli mangoes are causing much heartburn in Delhi. Using a TSRTC cargo vehicle, two bureaucrats of Telangana Bhawan have been busy arranging transportation and distribution of 1,000 boxes of mangoes in Delhi, bypassing all restrictions. They have forced the little staff available to run around central government offices to distribute the same among senior bureaucrats. With best compliments from the officers – not the CM or Government of Telangana. What has riled the staff even more is that people from Telangana stranded in Delhi were short-shrifted by the two bureaucrats, who were busy monitoring distribution of mangoes. Some of the recipients left the gifts in the corridors for fear of infection.