OFF THE RECORD review on some of todays headlines…
1. On the first day of 2017, city breathes most toxic air since Deonar fire
Boss, the weather of Mumbai has surely gone for a toss! Nearly 50% of people living in the island city are coughing & visiting doctors due to the climatic changes. Antibiotics going in the body are doing nothing but taking a toll on the expenses & immunity of our system. Early days of November had cold mornings but December mornings in the city saw people sweating. Now since the cold wave is back, it has brought a allergies & frequent visits to the Doctors. Forget the international city, Mumbai should drastically take steps to improve on the pollution levels.
2. Narendra Modi’s public speech
Many drank merely after 15 minutes into PM Modi’s speech. Once they understood it is about the SOPs and nothing hammering the ill gotten wealth getters, the enjoyment began. Like I had said earlier in one of my blogs, PM Modi will never announce before hand and go for the kill. Since he had already given signals about attacking benaami property holders, it had taken a back seat in his latest nation’s address. See, as a common man or a business-man I do not understand all the nitigrities, but what I understood was that there was no reduction in my income tax, or any of the taxes or duties that are levied on common people like us. In fact Government made a mockery by increasing petrol & diesel prices as a new year gift to us.
3. 2016 saw fewest corruption cases in past 3 years in Maharashtra: ACB
This is only & only because of CM Devendra Fadnavis. If you ask me, this is the biggest achievement of the government since 2014. You know what was the biggest scare for the corrupt? It has to be Chagan Bhujbal arrest & the humiliation the family faced or is facing. The activists exposing corruption exists earlier also but no government had the guts to put the powerful behind the bar. CM Fadnavis also transferred “known to be” corrupt officers in less significant posts and rampart warnings to the government employees or strict action brought the graph of corruption down. But again if MODI is clean, not necessary all his ministers are clean, similarly if CM is clean not necessary all his colleagues in the cabinet are clean? So how many fights in a day will the CM fight/ Will he head for the development of our state, fight against casteism, punish the corrupt, listen to the Centre, or combat against the infighting with their alliance partner?
4. नितीन गडकरींमुळेच मी मुख्यमंत्री झालो! देवेंद्र फडणवीस
OK sir noted, (but with a little smile on my face)! People think CM Fadnavis is an emotional man with all “brahmin” values attached to him. But friends, he is as cunning if if he wants to be or when the situation demands, as shrewd as the biggest Marwadi or Sindhi businessman he wants to be, and the most efficient player of politics who has kept everyone on his toes, sometimes even the greatest Maharashtra has seen. Able & seasoned politicians like that of Prithviraj Chavhan & Sharad Pawar are not able to find him in any of their tricks. Boss, won’t you agree, what any of the BJP netas apart from Munde & Mahajan were also not able to do, it is only CM Fadnavis who has been able to make Shivsena behave the way he wants to! So this statement & bowing down to Gadkari in my eyes, is only for the emotional people in the BJP.
5.Ashish Shelar v/s Aaditya Thackrey
The biggest rivalry in Mumbai’s BMC campaign will be that of Aaditya Thackrey & Ashish Shelar. Even though Aaditya poses no challenge to the BJP’s Sharad Pawar (believe me Shelar has all the qualities of the veteran) Aaditya is able to manage to grab the headlines with few reporters of “English Media” being on his side. Even if Aditya poaches the smallest person of Bandra in SS, the Times group’s city newspaper is printing it. But Shelar has also to face a tough situation inside his own party due to his close relations with imports from other parties; likes of Pravin Darekar & Prasad Lad. Last heard, not many people in the BJP are too happy with these “corrupt & arrogant” imports. Also the reports of Shelar falling out with CM Fadnavis & his mentor Vinod Tawde is not good for the upcoming BMC elections. Again as I said, Shelar being junior Sharad Pawar, you never know when will he pull out a master trick from his bag & stump many of his opponents along with these “dalaal” media reporters covering BMC.
