There is more to Parliament than adjournments over rail accidents and internal security debates. MPs are now forming teams to take part in a kabaddi match and a tug-of-war. The opponents in both sporting events will be the media. This Saturday, the Parliamentarians-vs-Media kabaddi and tug-of-war matches will take place at Nehru Stadium. The Parliamentary Affairs Minister’s office was found to be busy persuading MPs to join in. Those who have committed to keep kabaddi alive are: Sandip Dikshit, Desari Narayan Rao, Narayan Singh Manaklao, Thupstan Chhewang, Parsuram Manjhi, Mohan Rawale and A.P. Abdulkutty. The tug-of-war team has attracted a few ministers — Ghulam Nabi Azad, Minister, Parliamentary Affairs, Renuka Chowdhury, MoS Tourism, Jagdish Tytler, MoS NRI Affairs, and the Congress youth brigade, Naveen Jindal and Jitin Prasad, among others.Of pudding and public sector units, ask dasguptaA long-drawn discussion on PSUs during Question Hour in the Lok Sabha was suddenly enlivened after Gurudas Dasgupta of the CPI said: ‘‘The taste of the pudding is in the eating.’’ Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises Minister Santosh Mohan Deb responded by saying, ‘‘I am a diabetic. I don’t eat pudding.’’Shahtoosh or not, is that maneka’s question?The moment BJP member Sangeeta Singh Deo moved in to occupy her seat, party colleague Maneka Gandhi, known for her campaign against Shahtoosh, promptly held a corner of her shawl and tried to feel it. What Maneka asked her could obviously not be heard, but Sangeeta could be seen waving her head in the negative.Rajya sabha gets off to Shekhawat’s VanakkamRajya Sabha Chairman Bhairon Singh Shekhawat today greeted the members with ‘‘Vannakam’’ (namaskar in Tamil) as he entered the House after resolving a row backdoor. The only member to respond was Railway Minister Laloo Prasad Yadav who utterred some Tamil words.Sushma lone protester in house as party walks outBJP leader Sushma Swaraj probably did not realise she was the only one from her party in the Rajya Sabha while others had walked out in protest against Laloo’s ‘‘disregard’’ to the House. As Swaraj explained her party’s reaction to what he called a ‘‘confusing’’ statement from Laloo, the ruling party members reminded her that she was supposed to walk out of the House.
