Out of Site
The decision to delist Jantar Mantar as an officially sanctioned “protest site” was overdue, and matters came to a head after the July 20 “Chalo Sansad” march organised by the Cockroach Janta Party. Former cop Kiran Bedi, who has held several policing assignments in Delhi, said the site is completely unsuitable, with narrow approach roads and proximity to sensitive offices. The site is prone to congestion, with entry points from Free Church and Jantar Mantar Road connecting narrow lanes to the open patch in front of the Janata Dal (U) office. The site was okay as long as the number of protesters was limited and a modicum of discipline prevailed. But with crowds surging to the spot, it was impossible to prevent anti-socials from infiltrating the protesters as happened in July. The anarchic conditions, with round-the-clock food deliveries and free meals, turned the site into a giant garbage bin.
Rai Gets His Own Back
Congress leader Ajay Rai, who was recently replaced as state unit chief by Aradhana Mishra, daughter of party veteran Pramod Tiwari, is known to be a feisty person. Mishra’s visit to the party office turned out to be chaotic as Rai’s supporters arrived at the venue and demanded the way be cleared for the “president (adhyaksh ji)”. A retort about “which president?” angered Rai’s supporters and hell broke loose. The colourful language and shoes hurled around would have put any old-fashioned bar brawl in a Western to shame.
Punjab on the Boil
Public anger is spilling over in Punjab. The murder of anti-drug activist Parminder Jotha saw the house of an accused chemist being attacked and bulldozers being brought to the site. The deaths of people like Jotha, police personnel on duty and even ordinary citizens have shaken public confidence and generated the impression that criminals, including those based abroad, enjoy a sense of immunity in the state.
Land Use
In a move to reduce red tape, several state governments are simplifying rules dealing with government construction and usage of built-up areas. The idea is to issue a negative list of activities prohibited, with the rest considered legal. The move follows the Cabinet Secretariat’s interactions with states over friction points in rules and regulations that relate to land use. The new rules are in the drafting stage and currently open to public responses.
Wedding Woes
Haryana Congress leaders have taken the lead in organising protests against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls, but all is not well in the state unit. The deep-rooted factionalism in the party surfaced again with former MP Birendra Singh at loggerheads with Sirsa MLA Gokul Setia over—hold your breath—a wedding that Singh’s son failed to attend.
Bengaluru Rules
While Congress leader Rahul Gandhi claimed the Union government was ‘suppressing’ dissent in Delhi, protesters marching to the office of the chief electoral officer in Bengaluru were swiftly detained by the police. Those detained included activist Aakar Patel, raising questions about the credibility of Congress’ protest against police action in Delhi.
US Mayors on India Darshan
In the midst of heated political demonstrations in Delhi and fresh turbulence in India-US ties, a delegation of 11 American mayors from Washington state was in the capital as part of an eight-day visit to India that includes Bhubaneswar and Mumbai. Led by Tina Orwall, a Washington State senator, mayors from Kent, Tukwila, Issaquah, Mukilteo, DuPont, University Place and SeaTac were part of the delegation hosted by the MEA for a relaxed dinner in Delhi.