While not always tilting at windmills, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal continues his confrontation with the Centre, which he has accused of creating hurdles for his government and ruling the capital through “proxy”. While the battle with Lt. Governor Najeeb Jung has sort of subsided for the moment to a low simmer, Mr Kejriwal is now on a collision course with Delhi police on the issue of growing crime and lack of adequate security for women in the capital.
Delhi police commissioner B.S. Bassi met Mr Kejriwal to discuss the issue and defend the cops, but clearly no common ground emerged, as noted in Mr Bassi’s rather acerbic comments later. Curiously, before his meeting with the chief minister, Mr Bassi dropped by to meet Mr Jung, giving conspiracy theorists something to chew on.
The AAP government has, of course, been persistently arguing that Delhi Police should be placed under its control. Mr Kejriwal and many in his party argue that the cops (though that’s apparently not the word he used to describe the men in khaki) are biased against AAP and its government. Mr Bassi stoutly disagrees. Dilli has little hope of a rapprochement.
Like it or not!
Perhaps it’s only appropriate in this age of social media that tussles for bureaucratic positions should be carried over to Facebook and Twit-ter. Clearly the time when babus were wary about using social media is past. In Uttarakhand, the chief secretary’s position is at the centre of an intense battle on Facebook between supporters and detractors of the leading contenders. Sources say that additional chief secretary Rakesh Sharma is tipped to succeed the incumbent Ravi Shankar who is retiring next week.
While the state government obviously remains tight-lipped on the issue, two groups have reportedly been created on Facebook, one supporting Mr Sharma’s candidature and the other against it. Mr Sharma is a 1981-batch IAS officer, and sources say he has another rival for the coveted position. Senior IAS officer Amrinder Sinha, who is currently on Central deputation, is also being considered for the position. Whether Mr Sharma is chosen as the state’s top babu or not, what’s captured the interest of babuwatchers is the parallel cyber war, between “likes” and counter comments, certainly a first for the hill state.
