All in good humour

The Narendra Modi government fielded newly appointed Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale to speak during the discussion in the Rajya Sabha on alleged atrocities against Dalits and the derogatory comments made by a Bharatiya Janata Party leader from Uttar Pradesh about Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati. Athawale, president of the Republican Party of India (A) (RPI) and a Dalit himself, soon had the House in splits. When he rose to speak, the display board in the Rajya Sabha showed the name of the minister whose seat he had occupied, instead of Athawale's. Other members pointed that out and Athawale returned to his seat, but not before reminding everyone that while taking oath earlier this month, too, he didn't utter his name. "When I am standing, it is me who is speaking," he said. He then proceeded to rib Mayawati, saying her party, the BSP, had robbed the RPI of its symbol, the elephant. Athawale also joked about the Congress. "Bahut baar diya tha dhokha, Modi ne diya hai mauka (the Congress betrayed me several times, but Modi has given me a chance)," Athawale, who was part of Congress-led governments in Maharashtra, told members of that party.