Mantri versus santri

While talking about the continuing silence of Rural Development Minister Chaudhary Birender Singh on the amendments to the land acquisition law of 2013 initiated by the National Democratic Alliance government and the furore over those in Parliament, senior Congress leader and former rural development minister Jairam Ramesh said, "Is there a rural development minister?" Tongue firmly in cheek, he added: "In this government, there is a pradhan mantri (prime minister) and there are 'santris' (guards). There are no mantris (ministers)." Ramesh pointed out that on one occasion, when President Pranab Mukherjee asked for some clarification while signing the land ordinance, Singh was conspicuous by his absence - it was Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari who did the needful.