Constant thorn

The managers of the Bharatiya Janata Party in poll-bound Haryana are cross with the former chief minister, Manohar Lal Khattar, for making their task difficult. They claim that the simmering anger among the voters against the BJP is mostly centred around the public perception of Khattar, who ruled the state for over nine years. “The voters remember Khattar as an incompetent and arrogant chief minister,” one BJP worker said. To counter this discontent, the saffron party had replaced Khattar just ahead of the Lok Sabha polls with the relatively younger and humble Nayab Singh Saini. The anger against Khattar, however, persists since he was later compensated with a key post in the Narendra Modi-led Union cabinet. The party workers believe that Khattar’s continued success is because he is a “friend of Modiji”. Modi had once recalled memories of Khattar taking him around on his bike. Khattar played a key role in selecting the candidates and has been campaigning for the polls. However, his campaigns are ending up angering the voters further. At a party meeting recently, a worker declared that the Hissar candidate was sure to lose. A fuming Khattar then ordered his security to throw the cadre out of the room. The video of the incident became a hot topic in the media, causing concern for the party’s managers.

Fishy story

The Bihar CM, Nitish Kumar, was visiting an exhibition by the fisheries department in Saharsa. A large crowd had gathered at the exhibition and the organisers were happy. But as soon as the function was over, many from the audience started raiding the stalls, jumping into the small, portable tanks to steal the fish. The government and private agencies displaying them were hapless in such a situation. The huge police presence failed to stop the loot. In the melee, one person was heard saying that he had not come to listen to the CM but to take fish to party at home.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar arrives for the INDIA alliance meeting, at a hotel in Mumbai, Thursday, Aug. 31, 2023.

Within minutes the fish were gone, leaving a bad aftertaste in the mouths of the participating entrepreneurs who suffered losses worth thousands of rupees. The incident indicates that a certain disregard for the law and the government has crept in among people.

Sita counts

Nitish Kumar may not have anticipated the audacious fish loot in Saharsa but his appeal to the prime minister, Narendra Modi, seeking better rail and road connectivity to Punaura Dham in the Sitamarhi district was well-received by the people of Bihar. Sitamarhi is considered to be the birthplace of Goddess Sita and the people of the state expected a quick response from New Delhi. However, no response has come from the Centre so far. When asked about it, BJP leaders pointed out that Modi was busy with his trip to the United States of America.

This did not go down well with the leaders of Kumar’s Janata Dal (United). One of them retorted: “Either the Prime Minister is too busy for Goddess Sita or is ignoring her... This is not good. The people of Bihar are very emotional about Goddess Sita.” A senior BJP leader, though, suggested that the people should wait because the demand is part of Kumar’s subtle politics and a suitable reply would come at the opportune moment.

Potent power

Even though Naveen Patnaik is out of power in Odisha, he knows how to get things done in the state. After the alleged manhandling of an army captain and his fiancée at the Bharatpur police station in Bhubaneswar, the Mohan Charan Majhi-led government came under immense pressure and ordered a criminal investigation into the case. After a few days, it let its guard down, hoping that everything would fall into place and the issue would eventually die down.

However, Patnaik, having correctly read public sentiment on the issue, demanded a judicial probe. Later, his party, the Biju Janata Dal, called for a six-hour bandh in the city. Perturbed, Majhi, who was on a tour of Keonjhar, rushed to Bhubaneswar and convened a high-level meeting with all senior officials. A judicial probe was announced that night. The BJD then called off its proposed stir. Patnaik, it seems, had the last laugh.

Hard lesson

The denial of permission by Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Meghalaya to Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati for his Gau Dhwaj Sthapana Bharat Yatra — aimed to elevate the cow to the status of a mother and calling for a law to end cow slaughter — must have come as a rude shock to the seer. The state administrations, led by a friendly BJP in Arunachal Pradesh and its allies, the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (Nagaland) and the National People’s Party (Meghalaya), were of no help.

The Northeast swears by its cultural habits and does not want anyone to dictate their dietary preferences. The Shankaracharya realised this when he was turned away from the three airports.