:: Letters to Editor

Leaders missing from action

Oct.26 : Sir, This is with reference to the news report 2 die in Maha mishap (October 24). The Thane train tragedy took place immediately after the Assembly elections. Had it occurred just before the election, we would have seen every political leader at the scene of the accident blaming the state government and the Centre. The leaders would have gone out of the way to help the commuters. The Congress leaders, on the other hand, would have defended themselves stoutly and would have declared hefty compensations and sops for the affected people. But the way it has turned out, we saw only the common people lending a helping hand to the fire brigade and the police personnels. This was so symbolic. It suggests that the common man has to take care of himself.

Harischandra Parasuram

Juhu, Mumbai

Bring back l.k. advani

Sir, Former chief minister of Rajasthan, Vasundhara Raje’s unceremonious exit as Opposition leader in the state made for a sad reading. Thanks to a lacklustre President, imported from Uttar Pradesh’s factional politics, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is now at a crossroads. Surrounded by a coterie of rootless politicians like Sushma Swaraj and Venkaiah Naidu, the BJP is fast losing its grip on national politics. The tide can only be turned by making L.K. Advani the President of the country and allowing him a free hand to build up a successor. After all, it is Mr Advani, not Atal Behari Vajpayee, who was instrumental in the phenomenal growth of the BJP in the last decade.

Navnith Krishnan

Via email

Inducting raja was a mistake

Sir, With the Congress winning handsomely in the Assembly elections, and the Bharatiya Janata Party in a state of self-inflicted paralysis, it is doubtful anything unexpected will emerge from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) raids in the telecom ministry. It is surprising why the agency did not raid the houses of telecom minister A. Raja and others suspected to be connected with the scam. The CBI’s action, long after the scam has broken out, is like locking the stable after the horse has bolted. It is obvious that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has made a huge mistake by bringing Mr Raja into his ministry.

Kangayam R. Narasimhan

Via email

Margao: hindus not to blame

Sir, The Congress has used the Margao blast to pounce on the Hindu Right-wing group Sanatan Sanstha and declare it a terrorist outfit even before investigations are complete. The malicious behaviour of the Congress leaders in Goa gives credence to the assertion that they are going out of the way to appease the minorities.

Chitra Srinivasan

Andheri (W), Mumbai

***

Mumbai votes tampered with

Sir, Shockingly, the Maharashtra Assembly mandate indicates that voters have ignored the skyrocketing prices of essential commodities, load-shedding, farmers’ suicides, naxal attacks, and the 26/11 assault on Mumbai. Or, the electronic voting machines have been tampered with. This is not hard to believe. Why can’t electronic voting machines be fiddled with when mobile phones, computers, and the Internet can be manipulated for wrong ends. Bal Thackeray needlessly doubts the young voters.

H. Bhat

Borivili (W), Mumbai