Role of religious leaders

With the new Congress government settling down to business in Karnataka, the spotlight has again fallen on role of various influential religious leaders including Swamis and Mutts (Mathas), Church leaders and Muslim clergymen. With parties having wooed them for votes ahead of polls, it is payback time.

While Muslim clergy demanded at least one deputy CM and five ministerships for the nine legislators elected from the community, the various castes and sect swamis are also making their own claims. Though a record number of 38 Lingayats were elected on Congress ticket only one had been accommodated till now, leading to community Swamis threatening action.

This even as the head of a Mutt representing Idigas (traditional toddy tappers) going a step ahead and demanding the excise portfolio be reserved for a community legislator. Church leaders have also extended their own set of requests. Congress will have to do a delicate balancing act so as to not upset anybody as LS polls are just 10 months away.

Ordinance ‘masterstroke’

The recent promulgation of an ordinance by the government to overturn a Constitution Bench decision of the Supreme Court vesting control of the bureaucrats with the Delhi Government is now being described in corridors of power as a ‘Masterstroke’ of the new Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal.

Reason: Timing of the promulgation of the ordinance. The ordinance getting promulgated on late evening of May 19 — the last working day for the Supreme Court before breaking for Summer Vacation — gave no chance for Kejriwal government to appeal as the apex court had by then gone on vacation and will now reopen on July 3.

A little bird in Shastri Bhawan noted that perception in certain quarters that removal of erstwhile Law Minister Kiren Rijiju due to tiff with the judiciary is entirely misplaced.

On the contrary, in this case, it is learnt that Rijiju refused to sign or approve the ordinance and had expressed serious reservations to use ordinance route to overturn a SC Constitution Bench ruling. This was the real reason for Rijiju’s unceremonious removal from Shastri Bhawan. However, the new Law Minister lost no time in approving the ordinance!

Smooth sailing

Tourist boat operators in Kochi are mulling options to increase footfalls of passengers visiting the city for cruising. This is mainly because of the increased patronage given by passengers to the newly introduced Kochi Water Metro in some routes in the city.

The newly introduced boats have been a big hit among passengers with nearly two lakh passengers travelled in these boats ever since its introduction three weeks ago. According to Kochi Water Metro officials, on an average 9,000 people are using the services in these boats on a daily basis. There are more than 100 services on two routes using electric hybrid boats built to great safety specifications.

Spot on!

With at least five consultation papers issued by SEBI in two days of last week, a chief of broking firm was spot on in saying “the market regulator should pay a consultation fee to investors who are responding. This is akin to giving the stick and taking the beating”. Our Bureaus

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