Vis-a-Vis

JASWANT SINGH BJPs leader in the Rajya Sabha versus V. K. MALHOTRA BJP's deputy leader in the Lok Sabha

"The process of strategic co-operation with the US was started by the NDA. We are happy with the development."

"The Government has succumbed to pressure. By signing the nuclear deal, India has been made a client state of the US."

EPILOGUE: More proof that in the BJP, the left hand doesn't know what the right is up to.

VOICES

"The present government is thinking that without America nothing can be done. They are completely altering what Nehru did."

Jyoti Basu, veteran CPI(M) leader

"Ideology has no space in electoral politics. This is only a seat-sharing arrangement for the elections."

Vaiko, MDMK general secretary

"The chapter on Lalu in school textbooks is an example of shameless sycophancy."

Brishen Patel, HRD minister

"The Bofors scam of Rs 57 crore is peanuts before the Sripada Sagar irrigation scam."

N. Chandrababu Naidu, TDP president

"I firmly believe Sourav Ganguly will overcome all his deficiencies and return to the Indian team. No one can stop him."

Sharad Pawar, BCCI president

THE BUZZ OF THE WEEK

At least one "secular" MP who sat on the steps of Parliament and hurled abuses at George W. Bush was seen at the dinner hosted by President A.P. J. Abdul Kalam at the Rashtrapati Bhavan for the visiting US head of state.

PICTURE SPEAK

OUT OF THE HOUSE: Jaya leaves Parliament

Singh, of course, would like to paint everything with a Sonia brush. "Sonia also holds two offices of profit as chairperson of the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation and Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust funded by the Union government. The same standards should apply to her," he said. Meanwhile, Jaya took the line that "people like us" were deliberately being kept out of Parliament and that she would appeal against the disqualification.

The EC sent its recommendation to the President after conducting a thorough inquiry into the allegation by Madan Mohan Shukla, a Congressman from Kanpur, that she should be disqualified for holding an office of profit as chairperson of the Uttar Pradesh Film Development Corporation. Jaya can only stall her disqualification by approaching the courts.

But her case is not without precedent. Mohan Bandi from Tamil Nadu was the first to be disqualified as Rajya Sabha MP in the 1960s for holding an office of profit while continuing as MP, Udaybhan Singh was disqualified as MLA in Uttar Pradesh after being convicted, and Mohammad Azam Khan is also under scrutiny for similar disqualification.

The EC will also be conducting a similar inquiry against Amar Singh as he too holds an office of profit as chairman of the Uttar Pradesh Development Council. It gives him another chance to play the harassed, helpless victim.

-By Neeraj Mishra

DECLINED: By the Supreme Court, Bollywood actor Salman Khan's plea that prime witness Harish Dulani's statement could not be accepted as evidence in the blackbuck hunting case.

REOPENED: By Delhi Police Commissioner K. K. Paul, the Jessica Lal murder probe, which will re-examine the role of police officers in connection with evidence tampering and fabrication of records to help acquit the accused.

APPOINTED: As special adviser with the rank of undersecretary-general to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, Vijay Nambiar, who has earlier served as India's envoy to Pakistan, China, Malaysia and Algeria.

PICTURE SPEAK

RESIGNED: Rao's isolation may have prompted him to quit

Rao first came in the media glare in 1989 when he reported large-scale irregularities in the country's most powerful constituency Amethi in the general elections. More recently, he was among the observers for the US presidential elections and the Afghanistan polls. Although it is not clear whether Rao's high profile image in the Commission ultimately resulted in isolating him among his colleagues or whether it was the media's role in making heroes out of a few while ignoring the contribution of others, his decision to quit has raised questions within Nirvachan Bhawan.

-By Satarupa Bhattacharjya

PICTURE SPEAK

UPBEAT: Anil with Kokilaben

-By Malini Bhupta

Index