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INFERNO Guatemala ’ s Fuego volcano erupted on June 3 , engulfing villages in lava flows and killing scores of people
GETTY IMAGES deep throat
COALITION GARMENT In Karnataka last week , Janata Dal ( Secular ) workers sent Union Minister Anant Kumar Hegde a loincloth . It was their answer to a jibe from the BJP hardliner who ’ s in the news wherever he speaks — in December , the Congress filed a case against him for using ‘ foul ’ language about then CM Siddaramaiah . Last week , Hegde said the Congress was bowing to a putgosi (‘ loincloth ’) party , using Kannada slang to belittle the JD ( S ) seat tally in the assembly . But CM H . D . Kumaraswamy , whose party Hegde was referring to , came up with a quick riposte : everyone , however rich , needs a putgosi to preserve their honour .
HINTERLAND IN OUTER SPACE The BJP-AAP rivalry was on display last week during HRD minister Prakash Javadekar ’ s interaction with NCR school toppers . When the announcer said “ Delhi government students ” would speak with the minister next , Javadekar reprimanded her — they were “ Delhi government school students , not Delhi government students ,” he said . Some students were after a few laughs : one said he wanted to be a space scientist , and Javadekar asked him what the most recent development in the field was , perhaps expecting to hear about rockets launched by India . Just then , a voice was heard : “ Sushmaji ’ s aeroplane went mis sing .” Another aspired to be a politician , eliciting laughter . The minister fielded this ably , saying , “ Politics doesn ’ t accept a vacuum .”
GODLINESS , NO CLEANLINESS Ahead of next year ’ s Lok Sabha elections , central ministries have been asked to do a checklist on the PM ’ s constituency , Varanasi . The report card seems worrying , at least for tourism . Tourism minister K . J . Alphons , who visited recently ( and tweeted a picture of himself at the ghat taking part in the aarti ), is thought to have been livid . He found the city dirty with poor civic amenities and poor Swachh Bharat implementation . He told officials that the num ber of tourists had not grown as expected . The annual flow of tourists to Varanasi is about five lakh , with a target to dou ble this in the next two years .
10 OUTLOOK 18 June 2018