A dud for a deed

Congress General Secretary B K Hariprasad must have learnt the hard way that it’s very difficult to trust other politicians. During the first UPA regime, Hariprasad, a Rajya Sabha MP, got a call from H D Kumaraswamy, former chief minister of Karnataka and JD(S) leader, to help one of his friends. A film director close to Kumaraswamy had some problem with the environment ministry when he tried to get permission for film shooting. Hariprasad then met Namo Narayan Meena, who was minister of state for environment then, and sorted the issue. After a few months, when the time came for Hariprasad’s re-nomination to the Rajya Sabha, the JD(S) leadership preferred to back liquor baron Vijay Mallya and gave Hariprasad a cold shoulder. Hariprasad is now waiting for opportunity from some other state to return to the Rajya Sabha.