PowerTrip: BJP tries to bury Parliament breach story

Welcome to Powertrip, a newsletter exclusively curated for TNM Subscribers. In this issue, we talk about the BJP trying to divert attention from the Parliament breach, and resistance to caste census within the Congress.To read Powertrip every week, subscribe to TNM now..Inside TrackExclusive stories, for your eyes only..BJP tries to bury Parliament security breach storyThe huge security breach on the anniversary of the Parliament attack is a headline-grabbing incident but the BJP is desperate to push it out of the news cycle. TNM has learnt that the BJP has given strict instructions to its spokespersons not to call the security breach on December 13 a ‘terror attack’. This is despite the intruders being booked under the UAPA.There’s also been no action taken against BJP MP Pratap Simha, whose office issued passes to the accused. The party’s logic is that it would only serve to highlight the fact that there was a huge security lapse on their watch. And that is something the BJP is trying to avoid as it would give the impression of a weak Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.Suspending 14 MPs is part of the distraction. The opposition would push back against the suspension rather than the security breach in Parliament. Resistance for caste census within the CongressThe caste census was a key poll promise of the Congress in the recent Assembly elections. But it did little to win people’s votes in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. And now it appears that within the Congress party as well, the caste census is turning into a hot potato.In a candid conversation with journalists from the Bahujan community, Rahul Gandhi told them that there is a resistance for caste census within the Congress party. He admitted that Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar is opposed to the idea of having caste census, though the party had made a poll promise about the same. What’s more bewildering is Rahul Gandhi's response. He said, “We do not know what we will do about it.”.Zero HourA political story of public importance.The Omidyar Network impact conundrum.Pierre Omidyar, the billionaire philanthropist, came to India wanting to make a difference. Increasingly, his fund found itself incapable of doing that, triggering an exit..PowermovesTop 5 political stories.SC upholds abrogation of Article 370, says Jammu & Kashmir an integral part of IndiaParliament security breach: Who are the six accused?Kerala’s Sabarimala is in the news again: Overcrowding, politics and moreDMK MP suspended from Parliament despite being absent calls it ‘huge insult’All guarantees to be fulfilled in 100 days: Telangana DyCM