Third eye: Rajnath Singh breaks bike myth

Rajnath Singh’s bike ride in the Maoist-infested jungles of Jharkhand was unique in many ways. Singh said the last time he got on a bike was when he was 21. His pals say it didn’t take the minister even a couple of seconds to get used to the two-wheeler. Unlike ex-minister Jairam Ramesh who had driven pillion in the same forests, Singh made it a point to ride the machine himself.

Late change in service rules
After I&B ministry changed service rules to shift out government’s chief spokesperson Neelam Kapur, DoPT has issued new orders. Any change in the service rules for the elite Group ‘A’ services should first be put on the ministry’s website for 30 days to get comments of concerned officers, before the same is sent to DoPT, law ministry or UPSC for finalisation.

Blowing too hot and cold
On Wednesday, Haryana Congress chief Ashok Tanwar “threatened to resign” after CM Bhupinder Hooda denied tickets to his supporters and fielded some known anti-Tanwar folks as candidates for the assembly polls. A day after, Tanwar seems to have forgotten his “threat”. His ‘friends’ in AICC say the whole episode has called the bluff of Tanwar, known to flaunt ‘Rahul links’.

Ajit’s Vasant Vihar link

Never mind RLD chief and Jat leader Ajit Singh’s projected angst on being “thrown out on the street” from his Lutyen’s Bungalow, which he now wants as a memorial for his late father and former PM Charan Singh. A little bird says this “homeless and humiliated Jat”, in fact, owns a rather large bungalow in South Delhi’s high-end Vasant Vihar where his wife and son stay.