UNSMART INDIA: IT HUBS TURN INTO IT TUBS
People take to rafting and fishing Maximum City sees the on flooded roads as Bengaluru logs out following record rain Cousins meet, stir Jaidev pot
All it needed was one night's rain for the IT city of Bengaluru to log out. A record rain of 40.4 mm in seven years resulted in roads in many areas vanishing, as people struggled without food and water.
A city chocked with techies in love with the Net saw many come out with real nets to do some fishing as many lakes breached their banks. Some came out with rafts to do some sailing, too. And many converted flood hit areas into picnic spots.
As the city got flooded, authorities were conspicuous by their absence. The city lost its in-charge The talking point in the city on Friday was not the monsoon but the MNS president Raj Thackeray’s visit to Matoshree, where he met his estranged cousin Uddhav Thackeray.
The buzz is that the recent disclosures in court by Jaidev Thackeray -- that Aishwarya was not his son -had embarrassed the family and constrained Uddhav to close ranks with Raj. It is understood that Raj may be deposing in the case, too, and Uddhav wants that no more dirty family linen be washed in the courtroom.
However, as is customary, no details emanated from Matoshree, in which Jaidev does not hold an inch but Aishwarya has been bequeathed an entire floor. The official Sena line remained that Raj had gone to Matoshree to greet Uddhav who celebrated his 56th birthday only a couple of days back.
“Raj saheb greets Uddhavji every year. He at least sends a bouquet of flowers. This time he might have decided to meet him in person,” Shiv Sena spokesperson Dr. Neelam Gorhe said.
Raj, who visited Matoshree for the first time after November 2012, spent about 80
minutes with Uddhav, she said. Sources also opined that Uddhav might have requested Raj to mediate between him and estranged brother Jaidev, so that the bitter dispute over Balasaheb’s will does not hit the roof. Jaidev, the second of Balasaheb’s three sons, has challenged the will and moved court against Uddhav. During the court proceedings, Jaidev has made several sensational claims. He has claimed that the senior Thackeray wanted to name him as his political heir. Last week, Jaidev also went on record in the court to claim that Aishwarya Thackeray was not his son, constraining the judge to order in-camera hearing of the case. Uddhav and Jaidev are on talking terms. The Marathi manoos on the street would like nothing more than if Raj and Uddhav come together but this theory does not seem tenable considering that at this stage Sena would not want an alliance with Raj because it is on a relatively strong wicket. Raj is perceived to be politically weak, and if the Sena strikes an alliance with him he may benefit more. Uddhav would not want this, said a political observer. There were others who felt the meeting is significant from the standpoint of MCGM election, especially in the backdrop of speculation that he is considering snapping ties with the BJP before the civic polls.