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Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar showed his fiery side when the Opposition clamoured for a debate on the recent Parliament security fiasco.
The drama unfolded when AAP’s Raghav Chaddha, in a move straight out of a cricket field, signalled (gestured a referral) for a “point of order” — to which Dhankar snapped “Words, not gestures”, adding a zesty, “Or what’s next, a dance?”
The tension peaked during Zero Hour, as Dhankhar shot down requests from 23 MPs to pause regular proceedings for an urgent security breach discussion. Not missing a beat, Dhankhar pointedly reminded the AAP MP of his recent suspension from the Upper House. “You were convicted and sentenced by this House,” Dhankhar quipped.
A Presidential no-show
US President skipping the Republic Day celebrations has sent ripples through the corridors of power.
The buzz is that Biden’s absence was due to the alleged plot to assassinate Khalistani figure Gurpatwant Singh Pannun on American soil.
But political pundits offer a different perspective. They point to the State of the Union Address scheduled before January 30, hinting that Biden’s focus might be on domestic affairs in an election year. Only time will reveal the real reason.
Network issues
Reactions to the Tamil Nadu government’s efforts to restore normality after Cyclone Michaung left its trail on the capital city have been mixed. Even days after the cyclone, internet connections haven’t been restored for many people.
Even some of the mobile services took time to revive as also mobile data. This led to allegations that mobile service providers were ordered to restore services slowly. However, a leading mobile services provider’s data and Internet functioned without any problem. This resulted in these allegations dying a slow death.
More bank consolidation?
Finally there may be some light at the end of the tunnel for bank consolidation. The Capital is abuzz with chatter that the Centre is moving ahead with next round of public sector bank consolidation. Speculation is rife that Finance Ministry has lined up the merger of Union Bank of India and UCO Bank.
Also on the cards is merger of Bank of Maharashtra and Bank of India. Now the moot point is whether this big announcement will be part of upcoming Budget or it could come early as a new year gift to the nation. Either way, consolidation in banking sector is in the air.
Disappointed race lovers
The famous saying Man Proposes, God Disposes turned true for Chennai, which missed hosting the most eagerly anticipated sports event — the Formula 4 night street race — right in the heart of the city.
As the organisers were all set to host the event on December 5, nature had other plans as incessant rains pounded the city on December 3 and 4 due to cyclone Michaung — leaving the city paralysed for almost a week.
The State government postponed the race to December 9 and 10. However, with the city unable to recover from the impact of the rain, the organisers decided to push the race to the next season — a major disappointment for race lovers. The State government had allocated ₹40 crore for the race with a significant chunk spent on developing the infrastructure, including relaying the 3.1 km road for the race. However, everything went haywire. Our Bureaus
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