Sonia's moti chaal and Dr Singh's modified sher...

Dr Singh's modified sher...
Sonia's moti chaal...
Coaching Sriprakash Jaiswal
All this, and more, in this edition of Dilli Gupshup...

The 'coalgate' logjam saw an active Sonia Gandhi in and outside Parliament fire-fighting on many fronts before she left for her 'routine' medical check-up in the US.

The Congress chief reportedly tried to prevail upon Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to consider scrapping of coal licenses and order a probe but the good doctor declined pointing that it will have adverse impact on the economy.

Sonia remained in constant touch with leader of the opposition Sushma Swaraj. She humoured the Yadav duo of Mulayam and Lalu and worked on the Left parties to build pressure in favour of resumption of the monsoon session.

Even the BJP's Kirti Azad got an invite to 10, Janpath. In party forums, she tried to be aggressive in order to motivate Congress MPs who fear a repeat of a 'Bofors like' situation over 'coalgate'.

Click on next to find out why Urdu lovers are angry with the PM...

Away from the Parliament logjam, Urdu language lovers are seething in anger over Prime Minister Manmohan Singh taking liberty with sher-o-shayri.

Under attack on 'coalgate', Manmohan, himself an Urdu lover, had recited a 'sher' "Hazaaron Jawabon Se Acchi Hai Meri Khamoshi, Na Jaane Kitne Sawaalon Ki Aabru Rakhe."

Apparently, the original sher by Aayaz Jhansvi is "Mere Kalam Se Behtar Hai Meri Khamoshi, Na Jaane Kitne Sawaalon Ki Aabru Rakhe."

Urdu poets from Jhansi and elsewhere are wondering why Manmohan twisted the sher and more importantly, why he did not acknowledge the original poet's work.

Clearly, some issues of intellectual property rights here.

Click on next to find out Sonia's moti chaal...

Is there some sort of internal sabotage that is diluting the BJP's stand on 'coalgate'?

A section of the BJP is said to be wary of Sushma Swaraj's revised stand on party's insistence on Dr Singh's resignation.

What is worse for Sushma is that Manmohan is even unwilling to accord a sense of victory to the BJP by cancelling coal block licenses.

Privately disgruntled BJPwallahs question Sushma-Sonia tete-a-tete after her mota maal slur.

They accuse Sonia of playing moti chaal to divide the opposition unity.

Click on next to find out why Sibal is silent...

Coalgate saw a subdued Kapil Sibal. The Union human resource and telecom minister avoided sounding hawkish and deliberately chose to play second fiddle to P Chidambaram.

Sibal reportedly felt that his 'zero-sum theory' on 2G scam had not gone down well with many.

Sibal is also said to be conscious of former cop Kiran Bedi preparing to take on him in his Lok Saba seat from Delhi which is a cent per cent literate and urban seat.

In Sibal's assessment, the BJP may consider giving the ticket to Bedi.

Click on next to find out who is coaching the coal minister...

Congressmen are intrigued the way Union Coal Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal has been able to tackle media and criticism over 'coalgate.'

A closer scrutiny shows that much of the credit of preparing Jaiswal goes to Prime Minister's adviser T K A Nair.

The former bureaucrat now enjoying perks of a minister of state rank, reportedly spent lot of quality time with Jaiswal, briefing him to take on the opposition, the CAG and the media over 'coalgate'.

Armed with senior officials, Nair was frequently seen at Jaiswal's 7, Teen Murti Marg residence holding briefing sessions.

But why was Nair walking an extra mile? Is it to protect the Prime Minister's Office or there is something more to it?

Click on next to find out why Shourie want the PM to speak...

Unlike a hawkish BJP, former disinvestment minister Arun Shourie wants Dr Singh to be given an opportunity to respond to 'coalgate' in Parliament.

There is a reason for it. In February 2004 when the NDA was in power, the then disinvestment minister had described the method adopted by the Comptroller and Auditor General to determine notional losses in divestment deals as "idiotic."

Subsequently, Shourie had however, tendered an apology to the then CAG V N Kaul saying, "I am unreservedly sorry for the word 'idiotic'... the method for determining the notional losses was peculiar," he had remarked following the CAG's observations on the sale of Mumbai's Centaur Hotel to Batra Hospitality.

Kaul had graciously accepted Shourie's apology, but not before asserting that his "facts were absolutely accurate".

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