 "Nehru anniversary keeps cabinet ministers busy")
While PM Modi remembered Nehru on his 125th birth anniversary from Australia Friday morning and wrote ''today is 14th November, Pandit Nehru's birthday'' on selfies with students of Queensland University of Technology, his council of ministers have their diaries full back home to inaugurate pavilions at the India International Trade Fair, opening children's film festival or launching cleanliness campaign for the young.
India International Trade Fair (IITF), which begins every year from November 14, Nehru's birth anniversary, is often cited as an example of the first PM's vision in the area of trade and commerce . His birth anniversary is also known as Children's Day for Nehru's affection for the young.
At least eight minister in the NDA government are attending events which are linked to Nehru one way or the other. Home minister Rajnath Singh began his day with such a do. He was the chief guest at the inauguration of Commemoration of 125th Birth Anniversary of Jawaharlal Nehru at the Nehru Memorial Museum in New Delhi.
But the first one to get active on the Nehru theme was Maneka Gandhi, who was married to Sanjay Gandhi, grandson of Nehru. The Minister of Women and Child Development launched the National Bal Swachchta Mission in the capital at nine in the morning. This is part of the cleanliness programme launched by Modi on October 2, Mahatma Gandhi's birth anniversary. The children's section got rolled out on Nehru's birth anniversary.
While Maneka Gandhi said children can play an important role in the mission by becoming ambassadors of cleanliness, there was no mention of Nehru in the press statement issued by her ministry.
Finance, information & broadcasting and corporate affairs minister Arun Jaitley was busy too outside his regular ministry work. He was the chief guest at the inaugural function of National Children's Film Festival at Siri Fort Auditorium. Minister of state for I&B Rajyavardhan Rathore was there too.
Environment minister Prakash Javadekar too was part of the Nehru scene. He addressed children from Chougule Public School and students of School of Planning & Architecture on the green features of his office-Indira Paryavaran Bhawan, which was inaugurated in February during the UPA rule.
Even as President Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated the IITF 2014, several ministers-JP Nadda, Kalraj Mishra, Narendra Singh Tomar, and Ananth Kumar-opened pavilions linked to their respective sectors.