Unconventional approach

Prime Minister Narendra Modi broke with convention on at least four occasions on his recent visit to France, Germany and Canada. In France, Modi unilaterally announced the purchase of the Rafale jets. Normally, such announcements are made in conjunction with the defence minister or in a joint statement by both countries. In Canada, Modi criticised the Manmohan Singh government’s foreign policy. Raking up domestic politics on foreign soil, even if the audience was largely of Indian origin, is not kosher. Modi again departed from tradition when he gave a lift in his aircraft to Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper from Ottawa to Toronto. Normally, heads of government always travel in separate planes for security reasons. Finally, Modi took a photograph of himself with his entire security team and posted it on Twitter. Security officials are meant to be anonymous.

The common wheel

The parking space at Parliament House reflects the growing affluence of MPs. There is a lineup of huge SUVs, as well as such top-end brands as Mercedes, Audis and BMWs, almost all of which are driven by chauffeurs. It is heartening to see in the midst of the luxurious limousines a humble cycle with gears. It belongs to Arjun Ram Meghwal, BJP MP from Bikaner, Rajasthan. The 62-year-old Meghwal cycles from his North Avenue residence to Parliament and has put up a sign on his bike so that the security staff do not keep harassing him.

Not so wary

After meeting ministers, Subramanian Swamy has a disconcerting habit of issuing a press statement on the discussion he has just held. So seasoned ministers have learnt to be wary while speaking to Swamy and usually refrain from making commitments or discussing controversial issues. However, defence minister Manohar Parrikar was not so cautious when he met Swamy recently. Swamy promptly put out a statement stating that Parrikar is planning to release the long-suppressed Henderson Brooks report. Parrikar was perhaps not aware that the reason a series of governments had dogmatically refused to release the report after all these years was not to protect individuals, but because some portions of the report would prove embarrassing to the country.

Solo appearance

Andhra Pradesh chief minister Chandrababu Naidu is irked with the ministry of external affairs for scuttling his proposed trip to Singapore. Naidu had, before the death of Lee Kuan Yew, fixed his trip to Singapore for some work-related meetings. The MEA declined to give permission for Naidu’s trip on the grounds that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had to attend Lee’s funeral and it would look awkward if Naidu preceded him. The chief minister’s secretariat then proposed that Naidu could travel to Singapore along with the PM. But the MEA did not get back on the suggestion.

Attempts to white-wash

Finance minister Arun Jaitley is beginning to feel subtle pressure from several quarters, including fellow politicians and businessmen, on recent decisions meant to curb black money. A powerful lobby is opposed to the finance ministry’s new rule that all transactions of over R1 lakh in cash require production of a PAN card. A specious reason given is that the move is anti-farmer since farmers don’t have PAN cards. Again, there is opposition to the new rule that those who make more than one foreign trip abroad annually have to provide financial details in their income tax forms. The ostensible objection is that this makes filling out the income tax form too complicated. Another unpopular measure among vested interests is the black money Bill, which proposes imprisonment up to 10 years for concealment of funds abroad. Some MPs feel it should be referred to a select committee. If that happens, the proposal could be delayed, if not scuttled.

Birds and beasts

In selecting a house in Lutyens Delhi, government officials, ministers and MPs have to keep in mind traditional animal habitats. For instance, on Krishna Menon Marg, the bungalows are large, the lawns sprawling, but one has to live with the constant menace of hoards of monkeys descending on the gardens. Sometimes, one can get lucky. For instance, on Safdarjung Road, peacocks dance on the lawns early in the morning. Attorney General Mukul Rohtagi discovered a large number of green parrots nesting in the trees of his 2 Motilal Nehru Marg residence. Just a few houses away, Supreme Court judge Justice V Gopala Gowda’s garden is teeming with bats and eels.

A different angle

Economist Bibek Debroy, a member of the Niti Aayog, surprised many when in an interview to Rajya Sabha TV he confessed that he would be making a “politically incorrect” observation. Debroy’s argument is that the legal status of the land acquisition Bill, currently a bone of contention in Indian politics, is itself questionable since land is a state subject. He cites the Indian Constitution’s Seventh Schedule, which apportions the powers between the states, the Centre and the Concurrent list. Item 18 of the states’ list declares that “land, that is to say, rights in or over land, land tenures including the relation of landlord and tenant, and the collection of rents; transfer and alienation of agricultural land; land improvement and agricultural loans; colonisation” is the responsibility of the state.

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