Big names float in scam sea
Heard recently: the arrested Bihar Staff Selection Commission secretary got a verbal lashing from a police officer probing the question leak scandal because Parmeshwar Ram (in picture) gave the phone number of a big name — who cannot even be touched — as connected to the scam.
A lot of names are doing the rounds over the scandal, as the special investigation team formed for the case goes about its job. “Parmeshwar recently gave an officer a mobile number while being quizzed on the big shots who influenced him. The officer called on the number from his mobile, and was shocked to see a name appearing on the screen as the number was saved on the device,” said an official at the secretariat, who heard the account from a first-hand source. “The officer quickly disconnected the call and gave Parmeshwar a piece of his mind for ‘joking with him’. Obviously, the number belonged to a top brass - untouchable for the police officer.” Another official commented it was “getting more and more like the days of the fodder scam when half truths and unverified facts floated across corridors of power. But such things happen when there are scams”.
Foul mood
Nitish Kumar has been in a foul mood lately, said mediapersons covering the chief minister’s Lok Samvad programme, and never fails to pull up a journalist.
“Recently, a cameraman with an electronic channel asked Nitish a question when the chief minister strongly hinted that questions should come from the reporter of the channel and not a cameraman,” said one of the scribes assigned duty at Lok Samvad.
“The chief minister scolded a journalist for repeating a question he had already answered, and lashed out at another for asking a question on the Intermediate exams, stressing it was not a question that should be asked of him.”
The scribes can’t help but wonder if Nitish's foul mood has something to do with the Bihar Staff Selection Commission exam or the on-and-off verbal wars between the RJD and JDU leaders.
Sleepyheads
Legislators and even ministers prefer to sleep on the chief minister’s sermons and this has not missed Nitish Kumar’s attention. While addressing legislators and ministers at the foundation day celebration of the Assembly, Nitish remarked how he found several of them sleeping inside the House during the post-lunch session.
“They are sleeping even now,” he said, asking of the opinion of minority welfare minister Abdul Ghafoor who was caught napping during Nitish’s talk. The chief minister observed that many of the leaders found his lectures boring and were eager to get away. “Education minister Ashok Choudhary has to go for a programme at the Sadaquat Ashram,” Nitish said as the Congress leader wore a bored look in the House.
