After the Congress leadership abandoned former Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao, most party members kept a safe distance from him. Now that a fair amount of time has elapsed since Rao passed away, many party leaders are talking admiringly about Rao and the bold steps he took to usher in economic reforms. In fact, a former Congress minister in the Rao government, known for his proximity to the Gandhi family, admitted recently that he had suggested to former PM Manmohan Singh that Rao should be given a Bharat Ratna. Obviously, his proposal did not draw any response. What is interesting is that the senior party leader had no qualms in talking about his suggestion. This would have been unthinkable some years ago. However, many Congress leaders continue to nurse a grouse against Rao though they acknowledge that he was the real hero of the 1991 reforms.
Former finance minister P. Chidambaram (no fan of Rao) said as much recently while speaking after the release of Sanjaya Baru’s book, 1991: How P.V. Narasimha Rao Made History. But Mr Chidambaram was also quick to list Rao’s deficiencies. Describing Rao as an enigmatic person, he said the former PM’s famous line to all was, “One day I’ll tell you why I did what I did.” That day never came, he added. When Ashok Gehlot was Rajasthan CM, his government followed a standard drill regarding the gifts, which were to be given to visiting dignitaries. The present always included a copy of Mahatma Gandhi’s book, My Experiments with Truth and some khadi products packed in a khadi bag. In fact, his office was known to have a ready stock of such packages to avoid any last-minute rush.
But Mr Gehlot’s successor — Vasundhara Raje — is a study in contrast. She is giving her officers a tough time as they are often sent to pick up expensive items, which she has spotted. But she is not easy to please. She often cannot take a final call on the items or she has them sent back which ensures that her officers are constantly on their toes. For instance, Ms Raje recently directed her office to purchase silk stoles but she is yet to give approval. As a result, the consignment of 1,500 stoles has been lying in storage since months as Ms Raje takes her time to arrive at a decision. Petroleum minister Dharmendra Pradhan has a serious problem at hand. Being low-key is clearly not helping him. Back in his home state, Orissa, his junior, Sambit Patra, is giving him competition.
Even though he is far junior to him, the BJP spokesperson has become a recognisable face because of his frequent TV appearances. In Delhi, Mr Pradhan finds he’s not getting the same play in the media as his Cabinet colleagues. When the BJP-led alliance came to power, ministers were instructed to use social media to inform the press about their ministry’s activities instead of interacting with journalists. But it is a different story now as ministers are being encouraged to give interviews to the media to publicise the government’s achievements. But sadly, Mr Pradhan continues to lag behind his colleagues. Apparently, he is known to wonder why and how power minister Piyush Goyal has become such a favourite with the English press.
For years after it was set up in 2004, the National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO), a technical intelligence gathering agency, was in the thick of controversies. It was not allowed to function by other intelligence agencies, which felt their powers were being undermined. The turf-war slowed down the formal notification of the organisation, as a result of which its functioning was affected. But that appears to be in the past as the NTRO has now redeemed itself. The organisation played a key role in the recent surgical strikes undertaken by the Indian Army in PoK. It was this agency which provided the vital satellite imagery detailing the exact location of the terror launchpads, which made it possible for the special forces to hit with precision. There is consensus that this info was crucial for the operation. Clearly a new star is born in the country’s intelligence firmament.
