Revenue Minister N. Raghuveera Reddy is known for his oratory skills that he demonstrates while hitting out at the Opposition, the Telugu Desam in particular. But little do people know about his talent as an effective translator that came to the fore at a meeting to felicitate Karnataka Chief Minister K. Siddaramaiah.
As Mr. Siddaramaiah preferred to speak in Kannada, Mr. Reddy donned the robes of a translator with ease, drawing spontaneous applause. Of course, the translation carried some ‘extras’, criticism of regional parties, which was not part of Mr. Siddaramaiah’s address.
Once bitten twice shy
PCC President Botcha Satyanarayana seems to have the learnt the hard way how journalists could make or mar one’s image.
His willingness to allow journalists into his chambers in Gandhi Bhavan and indulge in no-holds-barred chit chat is now giving him a headache. His pure off-the-record remarks on the party’s state of affairs and governance, among other issues are now becoming news scrolls on television channels.
Notwithstanding his plea that it was strictly off-the-record, the PCC chief cut a sorry figure as his remarks rattled the leadership. His friendly talk with journalists found the high command’s ear and his detractors began lodging complaints against him that all anti-party and Government stories were his ‘leaks’.
The other day, journalists who rushed to Gandhi Bhavan had a strange experience as the PCC president appeared rather rigid, refusing to divulge details of his visit to New Delhi. All that the journos got was chilled buttermilk to beat the heat!
Jinxed jaunts
Former Minister D.L. Ravindra Reddy is not the only politician to lose his job while on a foreign tour. Everyone knows how Dr. Reddy was dismissed unceremoniously from the Cabinet by Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy.
Even before the episode died down, another instance came to light with Congress MLA from Pedana Jogi Ramesh, who switched his loyalty to the YSR Congress, losing his membership during a foreign tour. A one-time Kiran loyalist, Mr. Ramesh is on a tour of Holy Land (Jerusalem birth place of Jesus Christ), ostensibly to pray for his leader Jagan’s early release. The trip wasn’t even over when Speaker Nadendla Manohar disqualified his membership, together with 14 MLAs.
Courting attention
What is common between ‘Jai Jagan’ and ‘Jai Telangana’ though they might appear to be slogans at two extremes?
‘Jai Jagan’ was shouted by supporters of Kadapa MP Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy who is branded an opponent of Telangana and ‘Jai Telangana’ by advocates who are votaries of separate Telangana.
The sloganeering went on in the corridors of the Nampally courts complex right in front of the high profile court where Jagan is tried for the cases booked against him by the CBI.
The common thread was that they were inseparable in the large congregation outside the court hall.
The identity of who raised the slogans could not be established in the melee, compounded by unbearable heat in the closed corridor.
Perfect timing!
Union Minister D. Purandeswari is known to be articulate, very crisp in her speeches regardless of the function she attends. She is also known to be pretty modest, while being chirpy too, as was evident at the inaugural of a gem and jewellery fair here recently.
Reaching the venue well over 100 minutes late, she wasted no time setting the record straight.
As soon as she took the microphone, she apologised profusely for the delay although in her typical-matter-of-fact-tone. She then went on to show her humorous streak telling the audience the expansion of IST. “To the common man it means Indian Standard Time for people in public life, it becomes Indian Stretched Time,” she quipped, evoking laughter all around.
