Delhi: Panchayati Raj Minister M S Aiyar launches book

New Delhi, Apr 10: Political celebrities gracing book launches is nothing new.

However, it is seldom that one comes across a politician having effusive words of praise for the book in question.

On one such occasion, Union Minister for Panchayati Raj, Youth Affairs and Sports Mani Shankar Aiyar went beyond the customary 'launch' of the book, himself reading out with relish passages from the work of fiction.

As Mr Aiyar read out passages from "The Bachelor Boy", a work of fiction by renowned journalist Upendra Tankha, at a function in the capital this weekend, he seemed to have 'stolen the thunder' from theatre personality Sunit Tandon, who was to read out excerpts from the novel.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Aiyar, who happened to be a classmate of the author at Doon School, said he had read the book on his hectic air trips the week before and liked it immensely.

''I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book and recommend all present here to do so,'' Mr Aiyar told the august gathering at the book launch at the Oxford bookstore in Delhi.

Dealing with the zany capers of a journalist who is more interested in attending film parties than his work in office, 'The Bachelor Boy' has been published by Stellar, a quality publisher of celebrity books and quality fiction.

Speaking on the occasion, the author Upendra Tankha, a renowned journalist, having worked for three decades in several newspapers, including the Economic times besides writing film reviews for the Statesman, said the characters in the book were drawn from real life-people whom he had interacted with during his journalistic career.

''However, the situations and incidents mentioned in the book are imaginary and have no resemblance with real life,''the author said.

Stating that his association with Mr Mani Shankar Aiyar went a long way from the time both studied in the Doon School in the 50s, Mr Tankha said,''Mr Aiyar has been kind enough to find time from amid his hectic schedule to grace the launch of my book.''

UNI