Bhopal diary

Express News Service
Ex-Team India centre forward to don coach’s mantleThe MP sports department is contemplating appointing former Indian Hockey Team member Shivendra Singh as the new coach of the Gwalior-based MP Women Hockey Academy. He was a centre forward in the India team. The state sports department has recently appointed another former Team India striker Sameer Dad as the head coach of the MP State Men Hockey Academy. While confirming that the department higher ups will soon talk to Shivendra Singh for the assignment, official sources said that the twin moves are aimed at bringing the concept of ‘vocal for local’ in sports training as both Dad and Singh hail from MP. Singh was part of the Indian team that won the Asia Cup in 2007 and the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in 2010.

No vaccination, no darshan at temples‘No vaccination, no darshan’ is the new mantra of three prominent temples in Madhya Pradesh. The include Omkareshwar Temple in Khandwa district, Mahakaleshwar Temple in Ujjain (both housing Jyotirlinga) and Khajrana Ganesh Temple in Indore. While the two temples in Indore and Khandwa have already been unlocked and production of vaccination certificate (at least single dose) made mandatory at the temple entry, the famous Mahakaleswar Temple in Ujjain will be unlocked for devotees from Monday with the condition that every devotee either produces vaccination certificate or an RTPCR negative report issued 48 hours before entering the temple premises. The stand has drawn a positive response from most people.

Perks of being minister’s nephewHusbands of women lawmakers writing Vidhayak Pati or Sansad Pati aren’t new. But the nephew of a minister of state in MP has started a new trend of ‘Bhatije, Rajya Mantri’. A vaccination event in Bhind district during the statewide June 21 Vaccination Mega Campaign hit headlines not for jabs but due to the banner there. Jyotiraditya Scindia’s loyalist minister of state OPS Bhadauria graced the event where the banner not only contained the minister’s name but also introduced his guest and nephew Bharat Singh Bhadauria as ‘Bhatije, Rajya Mantri’ (nephew minister). As per informed sources, this introduction of Bharat Singh as ‘minister’s nephew’ on the banner was done on his insistence only.

MLA’s tweet sparks row A tweet by BJP MLA Ajay Vishnoi, criticising former Union minister Maneka Gandhi for her alleged insulting phone call to a veterinarian, has triggered controversy. Vishnoi  tweeted on Saturday, “The words used by Maneka Gandhi to talk to veterinary doctor Vikas Sharma doesn’t prove that the veterinary college in Jabalpur is bad, but it certainly proves that she is atrocious. I’m ashamed that she is my party’s MP (not leader).”  Sharma is an alumnus of Veterinary Science University in Jabalpur. The tweet, however, didn’t go down well with the leadership. BJP state in-charge Muralidhar Rao said such language shouldn’t be used against women.

Anuraag SinghOur correspondent in Madhya Pradesh [email protected]