Dil ka daactar

First time saw a batter giving a fist bump to the bowler for acknowledging how good the thought and execution were from the bowler when the bowler is shouting in batter's face. Does Gandhigiri in 'Lage Raho Munnabhai' style, comes back with jhappi of luck. Then launches Violence.

Had Mumbai Indians bought Muzarabani, they would have had a Lord, Allah and a Blessing.

Why this year World Cup wins doesn't feel like 2024 World Cup wins. Is it me only or someone else is feeling same ?

It is obvious that the ICC is a mere puppet of the BCCI. Bangladesh has withdrawn from the ICC T-20 world cup because the BCCI continues to operate like an extension of the BJP. This conflict was manufactured by banning a Bangladeshi cricketer from IPL so the BJP could win brownie points at home. We have now sullied three ICC tournaments in the past three-four years. The 2023 world cup showed how India is incapable of properly hosting a global event. We blocked Pakistan’s fans and media from attending the Ind-Pak clash, and the crowd was typically boorish. Second, the ICC champions trophy had to be partly moved to Dubai because India refused to play in Pakistan. Mind you, other teams had to travel back and forth while the Indian team played all their matches on one ground. It was designed for India to win. And now, the T-20 world cup is in the news for all the wrong reasons. Shamefully, the cricketing world remains a mute spectator to the BCCI holding the game of cricket to ransom.

Trump and America love India. PM just needs to pick up the phone and call Trump and express an interest in making a deal.. we don’t need to compromise on buying cheap oil from Russia. But we can definitely promise that we can ramp up PEACEMAKING efforts between Ukraine & Russia. We can also promise that we will look into buying more energy from US and buy more sophisticated weapons. Indian businesses should come together and look at the possibility of investing in the US especially in ports, data centers, AI and ship building. India must pitch itself as THE peace builder between Russia and Ukraine because it has a foot in the door. India is also THE market stabilizer in the oil market and it is a bulwark against Chinese hegemony in the Indo-Pacific. Please pick up that phone and talk to Trump and make a deal. They are ready here. Time is of essence.

Semi-literate Right wing Hindu twitter army is agitated that I didn’t name rape accused in Kashmir case. His name is ZUBAIR BHAT. Note: name of prime accused in Kolkata case MONOJIT MISHRA Note also: those arrested in Tamil Nadu dowry suicide case are husband Kavin Kumar, father-in-law Eswaramoorthy, and mother-in-law Chithradevi. Moral of the story: crimes against women aren’t about religious identity of accused as much as a BRUTAL crime. Criminals exist in EVERY community. Focus on JUSTICE for victim, not religious identity of accused.

Weekends in the constituency are intense. Every Saturday or Sunday, I spend 5-6 hours at my office, meeting 300-400 people : students, pensioners, entrepreneurs, NGOs - cross section of the constituency. Behind the wide range of issues, one pattern is clear: the enormous, often avoidable cost imposed by our bureaucracy. Four examples from this weekend say it all. First, a file requesting grant of land for the Department of Atomic Energy and the National Research Foundation - both Government of India bodies - was rejected by a Tahsildar. His reasoning? The land was “reserved only for government institutions.” He didn’t know they were government institutions! Second, members of the Jetti community, a recognised OBC group, continue to be denied certificates because only one spelling — “Jetti” — is accepted. “Jetty” is rejected, despite multiple High Court rulings recognising both versions. Students and job seekers suffer, all because of a clerical rigidity. Third, a metro station on Bengaluru’s Yellow Line has became a flashpoint. Residents of both Rupena Agrahara and Bommanahalli wanted their names represented. A compromise - “Bommanahalli–Rupena Agrahara Station” - was accepted by both sides after mediation by the local MLA and me. But the final file said “B. Rupena Agrahara,” reigniting tensions. We are now back at square one. Fourth, public sector bank employees who took Voluntary Retirement were wrongly clubbed with those terminated or penalised, and denied pensions for decades. Pensions started after decades of litigation in court but was made prospective. Even after winning the case, arrears remain unpaid - forcing the elderly to keep fighting another round of litigation. Each of these issues could have been avoided with a little common sense, awareness, and sensitivity. Instead, they’ve led to years of delay, unwanted litigation, and human suffering. And it’s not just people who pay the price - institutions lose time, trust erodes, and the nation is held back. Policy-making is important. But unless we build a bureaucracy that is responsive, informed, and outcome-oriented, we will remain a nation where delivery fails even when intent does not.

Some lungi-wearing kids are seen removing nuts and bolts from the newly inaugurated double-decker flyover in Patna.