Arjun away, time off for Taj panel crisis

With HRD Minister Arjun Singh having left for Geneva to attend a UNESCO conference, the Congress-Samajwadi Party tussle over the 350th anniv...

With HRD Minister Arjun Singh having left for Geneva to attend a UNESCO conference, the Congress-Samajwadi Party tussle over the 350th anniversary celebrations of the Taj Mahal is expected to be on low flame for the next 10 days.

Singh heads the Group of Ministers planning the celebrations on behalf of the UPA Government. The Centre’s plans are running parallel to the plans of the UP government.

On paper, UP Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav is part of Centre’s GoM but so far, there has been no talk of coordination between the two governments. Already, UP Tourism Minister Naresh Agarwal is ‘‘propagating’’ his theory of love and has instructed Agra policemen to stay away from lovers. The Big B is Mulayam’s chosen mascot for the occasion.

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With the Congress eyeing the minority votebase in Uttar Pradesh, Singh had to be made head of the GoM. Given the flurry of plans for the minority communities unveiled by the HRD Minister in the past two months, he is being seen as the Congress’ pointman to take on Yadav. The UP Chief Minister has quite a few pro-minority education and employment schemes to his credit too.

Singh is expected back on September 15 at the earliest. There have been enough indications from the Ministry of Culture that the GoM can very well meet in Singh’s absence.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Jaipal Reddy, who also heads the Ministry of Culture, is not perturbed at not being chosen by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to head the GoM overseeing the Taj celebrations. Reddy even suggests no chairperson has been appointed in the first place. ‘‘I too am a member of the GoM and there is no one chairing it,’’ said Reddy. ‘‘Arjun Singhji is among the seniormost colleagues in the party and it is only fair that he is part of the group.’’ Culture Ministry sources point out that the GoM is part of a bigger political game being played out in Uttar Pradesh.

The Prime Minister constituted the GoM to identify, approve and put in motion events thought fit to commemorate the 350th anniversary. The group will also look into necessary financial allocations for the celebrations. The GoM, headed by Singh, includes Tourism Minister Renuka Choudhury and Environment and Forests Minister A. Raja.