Delhi Confidential: Opposition leaders skip Jagdeep Dhankar’s swearing ceremony as Vice-President

The swearing-in ceremony of Jagdeep Dhankhar as Vice-President was virtually an all-government affair. Almost all of the Opposition leaders gave it a skip. While Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge was down with Covid, the Leader of the Congress in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury was in Baharampur, his constituency. UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi is said to be unwell again. Sources said floor leaders of bigger parties of both the Houses too were invited but they stayed away.

Masks, please: Rise in Covid-19 cases in the national capital has meant a return to masks in the Supreme Court as well. On Thursday, Chief Justice of India N V Ramana reminded lawyers who had assembled in his court to argue their cases to wear masks. “Please wear a mask. The majority of our staff and colleagues are getting it. Judges are also getting,” said the CJI. Many judges and staffers of the court had in the recent past been diagnosed with the virus, some of them having repeat infections.

Win-win plan: The Congress on Thursday announced that it would hold a mega rally at Ramlila Maidan on August 28 on the issue of price rise and unemployment. While the party’s decision to hit the streets has enthused many leaders, some of them are apprehensive about the spike in Covid cases in Delhi. With the national capital seeing a sharp rise in the number of daily Covid-19 cases, they wonder whether the administration would allow a big rally. Others believe denial of permission, if that happens, can also be exploited politically.