The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Word play

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Feb 05, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Word play

State Human Rights Commission Registrar Vithal Rao Patil gave enough work for crime beat reporters with his enquiry (not inquiry, as he himself was keen on differentiating) into Ayesha Meera murder stretching for three days. The reporters had to wait patiently at the State Guest House on all the three days, in the hope of getting some news to file at the end of the day.

But what perplexed many was his attempt to probe who could be the culprit, a task that the police had not been able to do during the last 40 days.

Though Mr. Patil himself had said very clearly at the beginning of the enquiry that he had come only to find out whether there was any violation of human rights during the investigation by the police, his enquiry did appear at times to be overlapping with what the police are trying to do.

Run brings cheer to MP

There were smiles everywhere in the Tiranga Run office, as the much-hyped event passed off without any major unpleasant incident.

Even the Shankar Mahadevan show, which was touted as the highlight of the cultural programmes, ended smoothly despite Swaraj Maidan swelling with a crowd of more than 50,000 on Sunday night.

Seen at the ground were a couple of leaders of the Telugu Desam Party

and the Left, who grudgingly gave credit to MP Lagadapati Rajagopal for successfully ‘hijacking’ a symbol that instantly evokes patriotism and nationalism in the hearts of every

Indian and mixing a run with it.

After all, when somebody does something in the name of the ‘honour of the national flag’, can any one afford

to criticise, at least

openly?

Mirthful moments

The mosquito menace in the city gave a chance to corporators to indulge in some hee-haws and giggles in the meeting of the general body of the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC).

It was not that the corporators were not serious about the issue, but CPI (M) corporator D. Kasinath’s attempt to make fun of a proposal made by Chief Medical Officer of Health K. Srikaruna Murthy led the corporators to have some mirthful moments.

Mayor Mallika Begum sought to know from the official the steps taken to control the mosquitoes.

Dr. Murthy said that a committee of ‘experienced’ corporators would be constituted to discuss the issue.

Quickly seizing the opportunity, Mr. Kasinath wondered whether ‘experienced’ corporators meant those who suffered from such dreadful diseases as Chikungunya and Malaria caused by mosquitoes.

( K. Srimali,

J.R. Shridharan and