Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
The irony of virtually inaugurating bridges in the time of pandemic-induced social distancing was not lost on Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. As he unveiled six bridges in J&K through video-conferencing from Delhi on Thursday, Singh called it a “pleasant experience to inaugurate these bridges that connect people, at a time when the world is insisting on keeping distance”. He lauded the BRO for the work. Fortunately, Director General of BRO Lt General Harpal Singh was in the same room as him to accept the appreciation.
Cow Politics
The Chhattisgarh government’s decision to buy cow dung from livestock owners to convert into fertiliser has left many BJP leaders amused. While some said the Congress is following every step of the BJP, party general secretary P Muralidhar Rao tweeted in Hindi, “Chhattisgarh’s Congress government is starting a scheme to buy cow dung. If BJP talks about cow dung, then it is communal, medieval orthodoxy and saffronisation, but what to say if the Congress does it…?” He also targeted Rahul Gandhi: “It will be good for the Congress to make Rahul Gandhi the brand ambassador of this scheme, nothing will come of wearing janeu, he should rather distribute cow dung and sprinkle cow urine. But Left-leaning intellectuals will not be able to digest this.”
Meeting Again
Friday’s meeting of the Standing Committee on Science and Technology, Environment, Forests and Climate Change will take place face-to-face, with permission for a virtual meeting being denied. Earlier this week, panel chairman Jairam Ramesh wrote to Rajya Sabha chairperson M Venkaiah Naidu seeking a virtual meeting, saying that restrictions on movement, quarantine and containment zones would make it difficult for members to join physically.