Once close allies, the BJP and Shiv Sena may be on rival sides now – drifting further in the past few months. But Prime Minister Narendra Modi does not appear to be in a mood to snap personal ties with leaders of Shiv Sena.
On Wednesday, after Lok Sabha was adjourned sine die when the floor leaders met in the Speaker’s chamber, the Prime Minister walked up to Shiv Sena leader Vinayak Raut and asked him about Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray’s health.
He enquired if Thackeray was doing well after the cervical spine surgery he underwent recently.
During the Winter Session of Parliament, which concluded on Wednesday, the distance between the ruling and opposition parties appeared to have widened.
As Lok Sabha was adjourned sine die, Congress leader hurriedly walked to Speaker Om Birla’s chamber for the customary greetings; the Speaker is thanked and greeted by floor leaders for conducting the House at the end of the session.
Sonia did not wait for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his ministers to arrive at the chamber. On their part, Congress leaders said usually senior leaders of the government walk across the aisle to greet opposition leaders, which did not take place.
Many top higher educational institutes continue to run without full-time heads as fresh appointments remain pending.
Even where appointments have been made, candidates are taking inordinately long to assume their new roles. First, Central University, Jammu waited for more than three months for IIIT Jabalpur Director Sanjeev Jain to take over as its Vice-Chancellor due to delay in processing of files at the Education Ministry.
Now, it is the turn of Banaras Hindu University (BHU). On November 13, the BHU was conveyed that IIT Gandhinagar Director Prof Sudhir K Jain will be its new Vice-Chancellor.
However, he is yet to take charge, with a BHU spokesperson saying that Prof Jain is completing the formalities required before he leaves Gandhinagar.
The delay prompted the local NSUI unit to recently lodge a “missing” complaint with police.