M A I N   N E W S

Austerity at security cost worries Cong

New Delhi, September 16
A day after the train carrying Rahul Gandhi was stoned, the Congress today said a balance had to be struck between security concerns of SPG protectees and commitment to austerity. “While our commitment to austerity stands unchanged, security concerns of SPG protectees are paramount and will be kept in mind,” party spokesperson Jayanti Natarajan told reporters here when asked to comment on the incident.

Natarajan said the Congress wanted to be to be seen with the common man and would have to take care of security also. “Both will have to be balanced," she said, adding: “Since it is a matter that concerns his (Rahul's) security, all measures must be taken.” She, however, dismissed the stone-pelting incident as “handiwork of mischievous youngsters”.

A senior AICC leader had on condition of anonymity also said while austerity was fine security aspect must not be compromised with.

“Such measures do have an impact on checking tendencies of extravagance among party leaders but caution has to be applied when it comes to those with high security risk,” the leader said when asked about Congress president Sonia Gandhi's air travel to Mumbai in economy class and Rahul Gandhi's train journey in a non-executive class to Ludhiana.

Asked about UPA ministers spending lakhs of rupees on renovation of their offices and residences, Natarajan said the concerned ministers had already answered to the charges. “Our ministers will adhere to the norms as prescribed,” she added. Brushing aside BJP's charge that the Congress' austerity drive was a “bizarre tokenism”, Natarajan said: “It's not tokenism. Both government and the Congress are committed to substantial austerity measures and the austerity drive is a continuation and articulation of that process.” — PTI

Stop your twitter, Cong tells Tharoor
Vibha Sharma
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 16
Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor has once again landed in controversy, this time over a comment on social networking site Twitter in which he dubbed travel by economy class as “cattle class”.

A senior Congress functionary said: “He is a new entrant to the party. As a new entrant, he should learn the culture and ethics of this historic party.”

Clearly, the party is fuming over Tharoor’s indirect taunt on the Congress’ austerity drive. Congress spokesperson Jayanthi Natarajan said Tharoor’s remarks that he would travel in “cattle class out of solidarity with all our holy cows” were “unacceptable” and “insensitive”.

“The party does not approve of the expression. We find it unacceptable since thousands of ordinary people travel by this class,” she said. Natarajan said the statement was not in sync with our political culture. “Certainly, the party does not endorse it. It is absolutely insensitive,” she said.

Apparently, Tharoor, was asked on his Twitter site: “Tell us minister, next time you travel to Kerala, will it be cattle class”. In response, he had tweeted “Absolutely, in cattle class out of solidarity with all our holy cows.”

The party has now advised him to be careful on what he “tweets”, considering that his site is quite popular and has thousands of hits every day. “I would advise him to stop his ‘choon choon’ immediately,” the senior party functionary quipped, referring to the literal meaning of the word “twitter”.

“Holy cows”, an indirect reference to Congress President Sonia Gandhi and General Secretary Rahul Gandhi, also has the party leadership fuming. But when asked whether any disciplinary action would be taken against the former UN diplomat, Natarjan said: “This is something that the High Command will decide.”

Tharoor, who appears to have now deleted the message from his site following the reprimand, is currently out of the country.