The Supreme Court's verdict that the AIIMS Amendment Act of 2007 was "mala fide" appears to have tested Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's patience. "Tamilians are our most troublesome allies," he is reported to have told Congress president Sonia Gandhi's political secretary Ahmed Patel. Singh holds Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss responsible for the government's loss of face. Few days back, another Tamil Nadu Minister, T R Baalu, had put the PMO in a spot by currying favours for a family run factory.
Troubled Left
If Sitaram Yechury is being considered as a middleman who keeps the government and Left on track, then why did the Prime Minister snub him? The question is doing round in corridors of power after a CPI (M) delegation called on him last week to submit a memorandum on price rise.
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Yechury raised the question of increase in rice quota for Left Front ruled Kerala and West Bengal and pointed out that the quota for the Congress-ruled Andhra Pradesh had been increase.
This ruffled the usually amiable Singh, who shot back: "Don't politicise such things!" Sources say the Prime Minister Singh suspects Yechury is behind the attempt to undermine his authority by projecting Rahul Gandhi as prime minister material.
BJP's Bihar blues
The BJP high command is seriously mulling over withdrawing from Nitish Kumar government in Bihar as rebellion against Deputy Chief Minister Sushi Kumar Modi is growing. The strategy is to withdraw from the government but to continue support from outside.
This will help in checking the rebellion and also contribute in arresting the decline in BJP's popularity. From outside, the party will be free to air criticism against the state government and explore possibility of having understanding with smaller outfits.
Mere introduction
Former Union Minister and Janata Dal (United) president Sharad Yadav, who is known for his Opposition to the Women Reservation Bill, gave a scare to Prime Minister Manmohan Sing.
When news broke out that the UPA government was going to introduce Women Reservation Bill in Parliament, Sharad, who had snatched papers of the Women Reservation Bill from he hands of former prime minister I K Gujaral inside the Lok Sabha when he had been introducing the famous Bill, suddenly stopped Manmohan Singh inside Parliament. He shot a question at the Prime Minister seeking confirmation of the news of introduction of the controversial Bill. The Prime Minister did not know how to react. An eyewitness informed that Manmohan Singh admitted that the news was correct but it was a mere introduction.
Sharad reportedly shot back saying that he was against the introduction itself because once introduced, these clever high caste politicians would manage to get it passed. Singh was speechless for a moment.
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