Sonamarg beckons: Bollywood star Salman Khan had planned a 10-day holiday at Sonamarg, a hill station 87 km northeast of Srinagar. It was planned that he would be joined by family members and some close friends.
But the Mumbai sessions court verdict sentencing him to five years in jail in the 2002 hit-and-run incident played spilled water on his plans. Called “Bajrangi Bhaijaan” (after the title of the film for which he was shooting in Kashmir) by locals, Khan had decided to relocate to Sonamarg again after the conclusion of outdoor shooting. But he had to fly out of Kashmir Valley to attend the court. But now after the Bombay high court’s respite, Salman can pick up from where he left.
Wi-fi for dead poets: When a group of historians, clerics and academicians took to “Gandhigiri” last week to save the memorial of noted Urdu poet Mir Taqi Mir, little did they expect Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav to respond so quickly.
Mr Yadav promptly announced that the memorial of Mir Taqi Mir as well as Meer Anees in Lucknow would be restored and beautified and all efforts would be made to popularise the poets among the younger generations. the most surprising part of the chief minister’s announcement was that Wi-Fi facility would be made available at both the memorials. Now this set many thinking about the need for Wi-Fi facility at the graves of poets — unless, of course, the state government feels that dead poets also need Net connectivity to remain popular with the young generation.
Souble Standards: Several celebrities and politicians made a beeline for actor Salman Khan’s house at Galaxy apartments, Bandra, to express solidarity with him after he was convicted of “culpable homicide not amounting to murder” in the 2002 hit-and-run case.
But Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray’s visit came under criticism from other parties, namely, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and the Nationalist Congress Party.
NCP leader Vidya Chavan expressed her displeasure and so did Mumbai BJP president Ashish Shelar, who claimed that Mr Thackeray should not have met a “convict”.
Interestingly, BJP leader Shaina NC was among those marking their presence at Khan’s house. Congress leader Priya Dutt, whose brother, actor Sanjay Dutt is also in jail, too paid a visit. The NCP presented a classic case of a teapot calling a kettle black as its veteran leader Padamsinh Patil continues to be a party MP despite his conviction in a murder case.
Trinamul (V)indicated: On the eve of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation election in mid-April, Trinamul Congress general secretary Partha Chatterjee had declared that his party was facing no Opposition worth its name in the civic polls both in the city and the districts.
He claimed that the only Opposition his party was facing was from a section of the media. On April 18, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) poll was held followed by polling in 91 other municipalities across the state.
The Trinamul Congress won a landslide victory sweeping both the KMC and the civic body polls. It won 114 seats in the 144-member KMC and bagged 70 of the 91 civic bodies. The magnitude of Trinamul Congress’ victory vindicated
Mr Chatterjee’s statement. However, his other statement regarding the media fell flat after a Bengali news channel, that Trinamul Congress leader Mamata Banerjee had advised her party workers against watching, predicted a landslide for Trinamul Congress in KMC polls.
A change in menu: Orissa Congress stalwart and Jeypore MLA Tara Prasad Bahinipati, is considered a generous host by friends and foes alike. He is known to mingle easily with people, including political opponents and entertain them at social get-togethers.
Mr Bahinipati’s friends list not only includes his party members but also leaders of the Biju Janata Dal and the Bharatiya Janata Party. Journalists, too, are invited at parties that are known to be generous with drinks. However, regulars were in for a surprise when Mr Bahinipati invited them for lunch on the occasion of the inauguration of his new government quarters in front of the state Assembly.
The guests expected the staple chilled beer and pakhal (watery rice to beat the heat) to be on the menu. However, Mr Bahinipati, had invited a Brahmin priest to perform a puja prompting many guests to try and slip away after registering their presence with the host, since, belying their expectations, on the menu was the mahaprasad of Lord Jagannath which was especially ordered from the Sri Jagannath Temple at Puri, in Orissa, and not their staple of liquor and snacks. The guests cut a sorry figure as they obliged Mr Bahinipati’s wish to partake the prasad with him.
