My Opinion

Vijay Mallya is perhaps gradually beginning to realise that he does not have much options left. He is therefore time and again giving clarifications and is talking about a settlement. His passport has been cancelled and the government has also made a formal request with Britain for his deportation. The pressure is on Mallya and with the matter having taken such a political turn it would now be difficult for Mallya to save himself.

There is no doubt that chopper deal could not have been finalised without the clearance of the then Air Force Chief. The Air Force appears to have relaxed several technical norms and specifications in favour of this deal. The altitude at which such choppers are supposed to fly was reduced and the trial runs which were to take place in India were allowed to take place in the premises of the company. Besides even the bidding process was relaxed for Agusta Westland since as per norms only original equipment manufacturers are allowed to participate. SP Tyagi the former Air Force Chief will be questioned on why several such concessions were allowed in this deal and whether he received any kickbacks or not. Perhaps the biggest political question would be under whose instructions did Tyagi undertake such decisions.

After Kabir Khan was heckled at the Karachi airport he tweeted that such incidents needed to be ignored and there was no need to give such undue importance. Perhaps Kabir Khan has forgotten that sometime back when the issue was rife, it was he who had raised concerns over intolerance being on the rise in India!

Dr Subramanian Swamy today raised 2-3 very potent points pertaining to the Agusta Westland deal. He said it wasn’t that important whether the company was blacklisted or not and who blacklisted it. What is more important is that the person who offered the bribe has been convicted but the person who received the bribe needs to be caught. Secondly the Italian Court’s judgement has made several references to the Gandhi family and thirdly Dr Swamy said that with the Italian Court having given its judgement on the 6th of April, probe pertaining to the irregularities in the Agusta Westland deal would now begin.

Pakistan’s motives became amply clear when during the talks between the two foreign secretaries it tweeted that the core issue was Kashmir and the talks were pegged only on Kashmir. Even before the meeting had ended, it was evident that Pakistan was simply making a show of its commitment as far as bilateral ties between the two countries are concerned. Ghulam Nabi Azad has rightfully pointed out that India cannot afford to go soft…India would have to deal very strongly with Pakistan. One can hope that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will adopt a tough stand and give a fitting reply to Pakistan in a language that it understands.

Milkha Singh could perhaps give it a thought…Salman Khan is a superstar and the most popular actor in the country. His body building has inspired lakhs of youngsters. It would therefore be incorrect to say that his appointment as a goodwill ambassador for the Rio Olympics is unnecessary. Salman has in the past promoted Football and Kabaddi. And it is well known that other than cricket no other game not even the Olympics have generated much interest amongst people. With Salman Khan as brand ambassador, the Olympics would become more popular and attract lot more viewership which would be beneficial for the players.

Pakistan has been in a turmoil since the names of Nawaz Sharif and his family members emerged in the Panama Papers. There are many rumours and speculations doing the rounds. Just two days ago, Pakistan’s Army chief General Raheel Sharif had called for bringing an end to corruption from the top to the bottom. This is being construed as a conflict between the Pakistan army and Nawaz Sharif. Conflict could be true, which has given rise to talk of a coup. But the flair with which Nawaz Sharif addressed the nation today, it appears that his belief is intact, he is under no pressure and will not be resigning.

The matter of Article 356 is so vexed that most regional parties remain stacked against its use. No party wants the central government to use it to impose President’s rule. It is for this reason that the Congress will raise the issue and try to garner support from regional parties. It is a different matter that the Congress too managed several defections when it was in power at the Centre. Parties were broken and Article 356 was used repeatedly to impose President’s rule is several states.

The Supreme Court’s judgement today has come as a relief for the BJP. It would have been an embarrassment for the central government as well as the BJP had the stay not been granted. Harish Rawat perhaps reacted too soon by assuming charge as Chief Minister and taking decisions without receiving the copy of the court order. While this hurry has cost Rawat, the BJP benefitted from it.

It is good to hear Harish Rawat say that he does not want any confrontation. Leaders like Kailash Vijayvargiya should learn a thing or two from the politeness in Harish Rawat’s words despite the High Court ruling in his favour. The BJP has made mistakes in handling the entire matter and it must be admitted. The party trusted the advice of those who do not understand the intricacies of politics. If Harish Rawat forms the government, dissolves the state assembly and holds elections, it could mean trouble for the BJP.

In EPF case, the conditions imposed by the government were not justified. Employees believe that EPF is their saving and can be used when needed. What will they do if they have no ownership of even that money? Their resentment is justified.Therefore, it’s good that the government has rectified its mistake well within time.

Coming together of Modi and Mehbooba and formation of BJP-PDP government was not an ordinary development.Both have different ideologies.That’s why separatists have got an opportunity to spread rumours and instigate people against the Army.It was done to corner Mehbooba. If Mehbooba takes notice of the sentiments of those who were instigated then she will have to take a tough stand against the Army.which could be an embarrassment for Modi. That’s why these two have to strike a balance and tread carefully.That’s why these two praised each other without showing any sign of confrontation.