Krishna, Kalmadi and the duo from Karnataka by Puneet Rajhans

Krishna, Kalmadi and the duo from Karnataka

S M Krishna was all ears to PC's take on Bhopal gas incident in the Rajya Sabha the other day. Seeing him deflect criticism and carry on with his arguments with seeming ease, he began to ponder on how he could get a performance-without-a-break tag aligned to his profile. The next day he reached out to Pak Foreign Minister Qureshi offering flood assistance to the neighbouring country. By making this call, he was preparing the ground for Qureshi's visit to India later this year. But Baburao Godbole was still finding it difficult to come to terms with the events that happened last week. There were versions and more versions to the tale of mails. This week as well there is no end to the mail tales.

All that we have is one life. For others it is one life saddled with three wives. Imprints are visible in some parts of the country, more prominently in the South. The office discourse; heaps of classified documents and the emotional connect that we are besieged with now and then have more than one side to them. Simply put, the coin with two face is enough to dislodge the solitary take.
Kalmadi reached out to S M Krishna early morning to clear the air on taint tailing the CWG. Krishna to Kalmadi, "I have been waiting for this opportunity for ages." Not to be outdone, KMD clarified that preparations for Games had begun just two years ago.
Krishna stepped on the gas. " The murkier deals during Queen's baton hands me the lost and found opportunity to reach out to an audience that is waiting for ages to see me speak (Perhaps the mayhem the father-son duo had unleashed in K'taka was enough to see the likes of Krishna to go underground even during his tenure). The line i take here would open line of communication with Pak Foreign Minister, whose bullying tactics won't hold good once the discourse begins in B'lore and definitely not in New Delhi. This fact would be conveyed once Qureshi's aircraft enters Indian air space. THe inclement weather and airport disruptions stories would be a sureshot way to make him land in Bangalore." But KMD wasn't here to relive the Krishna-Qureshi spat moments. He cuts him short and produces the email sent by Indian High Commission, London. SMK has a close look at it and brings out another piece of email and throws at KMD. "i have been in possession of this email for ages, do you get this?"
KMD goes through the mail and time for him to bring clarity to the entire tale of mails and mates. Snatches of this conversation are available in the market.
"When Organisation Committee of CWG and IHC, London reached a stage of compatibility, they wanted the future discourse/discussion to be handled through email. The proposal of letter exchange was also taken up and subsequently dropped as it would have entailed huge outflow of cash and time. So email was propositioned and settled."
Continuing further, "We were literally carpet bombed with quantum of mails that emerged from IHC. Unfortunately, the OC office came across instances of poorly drafted contents and appearance and disappearance of footnotes in the series of communications. We couldn't leave at that. Our officials had to apply themselves and incorporate necessary changes here and there."
At this point SMK observed that OC office had actually hacked into the system of IHC, a charge vehemently denied by KMD.
He added, "the changes incorporated in the different contents were then sent back to IHC for final approval. The line that goes missing in your one page mail is in fact the footnote that my mail had running into second page. We didn't doctor or tamper it except place the footnote right next to the last para to give a ring of continuity and credibility to the content on car rates and future setting." At this point SMK looked at KMD and his officials and began to leave. Before the Foreign Minister could disappear from the scene, KMD brought another proposition to him. "The Passport Office in Pune is in shambles. There is a new commercial centre that has come up right at the heart of the city. I would request you to look into this proposal. Details have been sent on the email, entailing two and not one page." Krishna looked at KMD, broke few sentences in Kannad. And this was enough for Kalmadi to disappear.
Again an illustration of Krishna caught in a dilemma of sorts paralysed at the extraordinary tale weaved by no less than a man hailing from his neighbouring state.
He reached out to Gowdas of Karnataka to secure a perfect place for him to host Qureshi and he would love to live that moment where media is miles and miles away.
Gowdas had brought two conditions on table. First, the father-son duo should be made party to the parleys between Krishna and Qureshi. Second they should be allowed to share dais with both foreign ministers during the press conference.
Krishna wasn't aware that Gowdas love Qureshi no end and they have a born desire to be photographed with ISI chief. That way they would be able to increase their shelf life in the State.
SMK had a poser: "Was the Krishna-Qureshi spat script prepared in Karnataka."