Himalayan Scapegoat
Handpicked by the PM to be foreign secretary, S. Jaishankar was one of India’s most powerful bureaucrats until retirement. But now he is the whipping boy. Apparently, many are now putting the blame for strains in Indo-Nepal ties squarely on his shoulders. He was indeed the face behind the 2015 trade blockade but the idea wasn’t his, say South Block sources. But as PM Modi embarks on his relation-mending Nepal visit, much of the past problem can now be conveniently attributed to the former foreign secretary. Jaishankar’s absence comes in handy, more so it seems for some close aides of Modi than the PM himself.
Taint List
In a recent meeting, J&K CM Mehbooba Mufti lambasted bureaucrats over growing corruption and nepotism. She reportedly accused them of turning her into Manmohan Singh— the only honest person while others indulge in corruption. She sought a list of all officers facing corruption charges. She was apparently shown the previous list, of officers who...
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