MP's governor Lalji Tandon must wait before moving to official residence

The Bharatiya Janata Party's Lalji Tandon (pictured) took oath as the new governor of Madhya Pradesh earlier this week. But he will have to wait a while before shifting to his official residence and is staying in the President Suite of the Raj Bhawan. He has to wait because the former governor of the state, Anandiben Patel, who is now governor of Uttar Pradesh, is yet to move out. Also, the whole compound is being renovated in accordance with Tandon's specifications. Once the renovation work is completed, Tandon hopes to move in after performing a puja and some rituals to ward off the evil eye.

Case in point

Only one of the two MPs of a political party that rules a southern state voted against the ‘triple talaq’ Bill in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday. Sources said the party’s other MP absented himself when the vote took place to signal that it was the party’s political compulsion to oppose the Bill. When Opposition leaders demanded the party MPs explain their conduct, they had a one-word answer: “Nineteen”. As an Opposition MP struggled to understand its significance, the MPs explained “19” was the number of cases their party chief faced.

No time for press freedom

On July 4, members of 15 political parties requested a "short-duration discussion" in the Rajya Sabha on "how to strengthen the freedom of the press, as the media is the fourth pillar of democracy". A majority of those who requested the discussion are members of Opposition parties, but Bharatiya Janata Party Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy (pictured) also signed the notice. The government, however, suggested a short-duration discussion on "the need to ensure basic facilities and affordable treatment to cancer patients". The Rajya Sabha took up the discussion on the issue of cancer on Wednesday and another "half-an-hour" discussion on the "clean Ganga drive". The Opposition was told that the Rajya Sabha would not have the time during the current session, which ends on August 7, to have a discussion on the "freedom of the press".