Regional journal: Chairless power!

Punjab Governor and UT Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria on Sunday said he has formally scrapped the colonial-era practice of using a special high-backed chair bearing the official emblem, both outside and inside Lok Bhavan. Explaining his decision after sitting on an ordinary chair at the All-India media meet in Chandigarh, Kataria said public office was about service, not symbols, and asked, “What’s in a chair?” Noting that after retirement one sits at home like everyone else, he remarked that it is better to always remain aware of one’s real place.

MPs spar over cigarette, khaini

Last week, MPs were seen exchanging barbs not over burning issues facing the country, but smoking cigarette inside the Parliament complex. A furore broke out as BJP MP Anurag Thakur alleged in the Lok Sabha that a Trinamool Congress MP was found vaping (smoking e-cigarette) inside Parliament. Soon after, a senior TMC MP (a different one) was seen smoking outside Parliament building. When BJP MPs 'admonished' him for doing so, he immediately countered one of them for having 'khaini' (tobacco) within and outside Parliament all the time.

‘Blessing in disguise’ for Cong

Suspended Congress leader Navjot Kaur Sidhu’s ‘Rs 500 crore for CM post’ allegation has done what senior Congress leadership failed to do — unite the state unit against the common cause. Rival camps have buried their hatchet to gun for the Sidhu couple. The party high command seems relieved, at least for the moment.

Dy CM ‘Man of the Match’

Himachal Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri recently didn’t mince words in issuing a direct threat to bureaucrats working against the government. His fiery speech at a function in Mandi impressed at least Rajni Patil, the AICC incharge for Himachal, who too didn’t shy away from declaring Agnihotri ‘Man of the Match’, a term replaced by ‘Player of the Match’ for the individual putting up a match-winning performance in cricket.

Badals get event management tips

The turnout at Parkash Singh Badal’s birth anniversary event at Badal village this year was thin, triggering advice from senior leaders on event management to the Badal family. CPI leader Hardev Arshi suggested the family should stick to either the birth anniversary or the death anniversary, and celebrate it on a large scale. INLD president Abhay Chautala advised the family to take a cue from how the events related to his late grandfather Chaudhary Devi Lal are celebrated.

Mann has audience in splits

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann recently had his audience in splits when he drew parallels between former Punjab Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi. “They are similar. One asks voters to make him CM and the other one asks them to make him PM. Voters ask them what work had they done on ground. And as the truth speaks, none has any.”

Contributed by Nitin Jain, Animesh Singh, Rajmeet Singh, Subhash Rajta, Archit Watts & Ruchika M Khanna