Ministers heckled, police shackled
As ministers find themselves in choppy waters when they visit the flood-affected areas, the state police also find themselves in a piquant situation. Three cabinet ministers who recently visited the affected areas were gheraoed and heckled. Convoys of Civil Defence Minister Srikumar Mukherjee and Minor Irrigation Minister Nandagopal Bhattacharjee were stopped for two hours at West Midnapore last week. And yesterday, Health Minister Suryakanta Mishra was heckled in the same district. The flood victims also hurled abuses at them. At many places the ministers were shown brooms and chappals. This has landed up the state police in a soup. Since they escort the ministers, it is their duty to protect them. But the state government has prohibited the use of force on flood victims. A superintendent of police was heard saying: “What can we do? Ministers ask us to provide protection but the Writers’ Buildings has told us not to use force against the flood victims. So we just stand and wait for the public to release their ire.”

Eye on the GJM leaders
For the four days, the leaders of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha stayed at a hotel at the Bangur Avenue, the Intelligence Branch (IB) personnel kept a close surveillance not only on the movement of the leaders, but also on people who came to meet them. Even journalists were required to register their names, addresses and phone numbers. “We are maintaining a record of all the visitors,” said one official.

Black magic fear of a Railway cop
Officers of the Eastern Railway had a good laugh as news spread about an incident involving a senior security officer of the Railways. One fine day, when the top official entered his office, he was greeted by the sight of boiled eggs, mustard and lemon peels. He immediately retraced his steps and made frantic calls to his well-wishers. He was advised to return home and take a bath, “as people jealous of his good posting could have tried a black magic spell against him. He returned to his office next day and entered his cabin only after incense sticks were lit and the evil spirits were reportedly warded off.

Yellow Journalism? Mayor sees red
With the onset of monsoon, Kolkatans have to put up with the ordeal of water logging. It has not spared even Mayor Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya, who recently found himself in troubled waters when TV channels and newspapers highlighted corruption in the Kolkata Municipal Corporation and the failure of the civic body to deal with the issue. A regional TV channel, to which the Mayor had refused to give interview, showed pictures of Bhattacharya with a Tollywood actress and accused him of ignoring the plight of the denizens. Mayor could not take it any longer and at the monthly meeting of the corporation, in presence of councillors and other office bearers, he accused the channel of indulging in yellow journalism.