Regional journal: Azad turns to ‘original Azad’

Ever since the Jammu and Kashmir election process wound up and a new government assumed charge, everyone has been wondering what ex-CM Ghulam Nabi Azad has been up to? Turns out the former Congress veteran is acquainting himself with the “original Azad” these days. He is reading the autobiography of his uncle Ghulam Rasool Azad, former J&K director of education and Nabi’s political mentor. Rasool earned the title “Azad” for his audacious challenge to the political establishment of the day in J&K. His nephew chose to retain the title.

Kangana makes the fight filmy

Politically dull Himachal Pradesh has suddenly found itself in the middle of a storm, courtesy Bollywood actor-turned-MP Kangana Ranaut. Touring her constituency Mandi after several months, the BJP leader has been countering her most vocal Congress critic, PWD Minister Vikramaditya Singh, in filmi style, calling him ‘Raja Babu’— a 1994 Govinda-starrer goes by the name. Royal scion Vikramaditya has been addressing her as the ‘Queen’ (Kangana played the lead role in the 2013 blockbuster), attacking her over her “prolonged absence” from Mandi. The real issues notwithstanding, the reel names have the Himachalis hooked.

Haryana’s property-less babus

A majority of Haryana’s senior bureaucrats seem to believe in Boman Irani’s one-liner from Hindi blockbuster ‘Khosla Ka Ghosla!’ — “Ek property hi to hai jo pyar karne layak hai”. Many have, in their self-declarations filed with the Centre, listed assets worth crores of rupees, including in upscale Gurugram, Mohali and Panchkula. But at least 20 of the 169 IAS officers, including Anil Malik and G Anupama of the 1991 batch, failed to make it to the rich list, declaring “nil” immovable assets.

Police’s weird midnight briefing

The Punjab Police’s focus appears more on grabbing headlines than rooting out drugs. Eager for media attention, the Pathankot DIG (Punjab Armed Police) recently called a media briefing in Madhopur at midnight. The bizarre invite for the ‘Press meet on night domination’ left journalists surprised. Why publicise the ‘night domination’ exercise in the dead of night, a few asked. Certainly, the midnight briefing created a buzz. Journalists in the district are now waiting to see how often and how effective “night domination” is and how it differs from policing in broad daylight.

‘Papaji’, ‘Pitaji’ & crime connect

Two self-styled godmen of Punjab and Haryana, both convicted of heinous crimes, are united not just by their criminal records, but share similar nicknames too. Pastor Bajinder Singh, sentenced to life for rape recently, is called by his followers as ‘Papaji’. Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, jailed for rape and murder, is known to his devotees as ‘Pitaji’. Call them ‘Papaji’ or ‘Pitaji’, the law calls them what they truly are — And has put them behind bars. While faith continues to kneel, justice won’t bend!

Toilet row comes as saviour

A fresh controversy over an inauguration plaque outside a school toilet in Barnala has taken the spotlight off former Punjab minister Chetan Singh Jouramajra. The AAP MLA from Samana was in the eye of the storm for publicly reprimanding teachers for “poor management” at a ‘Sikhya Kranti’ event in Patiala. Jouramajra came under fire from his own party as the teachers threatened of a statewide agitation lest he tendered an unconditional apology, which he did. In 2022, Jouramajra was the Health Minister and he had courted controversy by reprimanding Faridkot health university V-C Dr Raj Bahadur. The V-C couldn’t take the humiliation and resigned immediately.

Contributed by Aditi Tandon, Dipender Manta, Pradeep Sharma, Ravi Dhaliwal, Archit Watts and Mohit Khanna

India