For a change, Union Minister Smriti Irani and the alleged irregularities at the Silly Souls Cafe and Bar hogged the limelight last week. But that's not our story.
Goan politicians, specially from the ruling BJP, who otherwise have an opinion on every topic under the sun wouldn't dare say a word on the raging issue leave alone the revered Goddess of the 'Kyonki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi' TV show.
When some journos in Mapusa pressed a reluctant BJP State President Sadanand Shet Tanavade to comment on the burning issue, he only meowed saying that the Union Minister had already clarified on the topic in Delhi and so it wouldn’t be appropriate for him to offer any comment again.
The BJP chief managed to wriggle out from an awkward situation but we have to give it to those journos who at least made an attempt to get an insight from a ruling party politician on the controversy.
What comes as a big surprise but not surprising for some though is the persevering electronic media which otherwise are seen running after politicians to comment on any silly issues had no gumption to ask the CM or any of his colleagues to comment on the Silly Hole err Souls…
Aires and controversies
Well, well, well. Apart from Union Minister Smrithi Irani another gentleman who also hogged space on rims of newsprint as well as social media was amcho dashing advogade Aires Rodrigues.
Aires and controversies go hand-in-hand but one must give it to him for managing to take on the high and mighty, each time he takes the centrestage.
Some years ago the social activist had attempted to take on the then Taleigao strongman Babush Monserrate and had even been attacked in a bar in the capital city.
Aires is known to take on powerful and influential people but very rarely succeeds to take the issues to their logical end.
So let’s wait and watch how long he persists with the latest case or if he will hammer the last nail on the coffin, so to say.
A bout of self praise
What's with political parties and patting their own backs? A two-week session of the Goa legislative assembly ended last week and everyone of the political parties dotting the benches on the side of the Opposition came up with press conferences claiming their MLAs did well to raise the issues of the people of the State.
When proceedings of the House were live streamed and watched by all and sundry, shouldn't who did well be a call to be taken by the audience?
Looks like the political gang skipped kindergarten and haven't heard children often shouting out the 'donkey praises his own tail' aphorism.
Wait for new LoP could be long
When the party decided to remove Michael Lobo as its legislative wing leader and wrote to speaker Ramesh Tawardkar to rearrange the seating arrangement in the House, the party leadership had said it would elect a new leader within a couple of days. It's now more than two weeks and there's no sign of a new leader.
If the thought process within the 11 member CLP is anything to go by, there are two names floating around. The eloquent former advocate general and Aldona MLA Carlos Ferreira Alvares is one. The second is of the veteran from Nuvem, Aleixo Sequeira.
But the grand old party is best known for indecision as its time-tested decision making tactic.
After holding one-to-one consultations with all the MLAs, barring Michael Lobo and Digambar Kamat, the party's senior leader and MP, Mukul Wasnik, has as usual left the verdict in the court of the party's first family, the Gandhis.
The party in Goa may have to wait longer to learn who its new leader in the House will be.
Faldesai in or out? (RAJESH FALDESSAI PIC)
Is Cumbarjua MLA Rajesh Faldessai with the Congress or not? This question has been doing the rounds for quite a while in the constituency, particularly with his name being linked to the defection moves by some Congress MLAs.
But, even as Faldessai says that he is with the Congress, his absence at the recent protest against BJP by Congress leaders in Old Goa, is giving us other ideas.
Although GPCC chief Amit Patkar sought to downplay the issue saying the Cumbarjua MLA was in Mumbai, it appears that the Congress has lost control of Faldessai who is seen more at BJP functions than those of his own Congress' in the past.
He had hit headlines when he made an appearance at the BJP headquarters in Panaji at the saffron party's foundation day event, barely days after the Assembly election results.
Kabaddi brings laurels to Goa
News is always negative, is an often slapped accusation at us journos. But after long Goa had some good news coming its way in the field of Sports.
And, it wasn't football, the State Game, which the government pampers pouring money through the GFDC year after year. It was Kabaddi that brought laurels to the State.
Goa's Kabaddi team won the bronze at the 69th Senior National Kabaddi Championship held at Haryana and the State would do well to prop up every sport rather than just football and cricket.
Kabaddi is an Olympic sport and there is no reason why it, or any other discipline, should be cold shouldered by the State government's sports ministry. Hope better sense prevails.
(Compiled by Ashley do Rosario with inputs from Agnelo Pereira and Manuel Vaz)
