Monday, April 26, 2010

The Tribune- Chatterati '26th.April.10'

CHATWAL'S CHARM GROWS

Ever since the high flying NRI from America, Sant Chatwal got his Padma Vibhushan, he seems to have changed his lifestyle, or has it got something to do with the austerity drive of the Congress and thanks to his deepening links with some Congress guys. He was in town recently to attend a wedding. The high flying Chatwal this time around noticeably decided to skip his usual five star hotel accommodation and stayed instead with his dear friend the Rajya Sabha Member and Industrialist T.Subbarami Reddy. Even though Delhites were amazed with his being awarded with the Padma Vibhushan, they were impressed by the high profile parties held thereafter for him in the capital. But to beat all of that Chatwal was even felicitated out of town by Union Ministers. Chatwal it seems has growing and strong contacts in the corridors of the power today. He is close to high up bureaucrats too. Obviously, his having been blacklisted in America and declared bankrupt thrice doesn’t affect the standing with Delhi’s high ups. With the Padma Vibhushan under his belt he seems to be aiming for the coveted Rajya Sabha next, if not some other decoration in the future.
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DOWN,NOT OUT
The ousted leader of the Samajwadi Party Amar Singh has been keeping a rather low profile now-a-days. His highly touted come-back rally was a bit of a flop show. Ever since he has left the Samajwadi Party, he seeming to be loosing his friendship with his two close brothers Amitabh Bachchan and Anil Ambani. Jaya Bachchan after all has chosen to still remain as the Member of Rajya Sabha from Samajwadi Party and in Parliament is seen to be on great terms with the other Samajwadi Party leaders. Jaya Prada on the other hand was more loyal and left the Samajwadi Party with Amar Singh and has openly been criticizing the S.P leaders since then.
Ever since Amar Singh had his serious kidney surgery in Singapore the Samajwadi Party’s leadership had been out to get him taking advantage of his absence. Amar Singh now really cannot hide any longer his disappointment with the Bachchans with not standing up with him in this time, of crisis. He as usual is rather blunt and speaks his mind in the capital whenever questioned on this sensitive subject. Which is so Amar Singh.
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K.K.BIRLA LANE
Naming roads in Central Delhi is an infrequent affair. Most of them have been named already and the rules now do not allow renaming. But clearly some spaces still exist and one of Delhi’s most idyllic leafy lanes recently got itself a new name, K.K.Birla Lane in memory of the industrialist and newspaper baron. It thus acquired a touch of history and national politics. In a simple roadside ceremony Chief Minister Shiela Dikshit arrived promptly on time to unveil a plaque and name the K.K.Birla Lane. Simplicity was the highlight of the event with the low-key Gopal Gandhi being the person called upon to be the main speaker at a small seminar that was held immediately after the ceremony was done. K.K.Birla’s three daughters and their families got pictures taken by the roadside providing a rare sight to office goers curiously peering from office cars.
At the ceremony site itself the only officialdom present were the Head of NDMC and the local M.P of New Delhi Ajay Maken. Most guests avoided the blazing sun of the ceremony and headed straight to the cooler India International Centre. The seminar focused on the contributions of K.K.Birla beyond the world of business and commerce. The large number of political attendees R.K.Dhawan, Abhishek Singhvi, N.K.Singh and Jyotiraditya Madhavrao Scindia was a testimony to Birla’s stints in the Rajya Sabha, a role now taken over ably by daughter Shobhana Bhartiya.

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