The Hindu : Opinion / Letters to the Editor : War of words

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Wednesday, Apr 15, 2009
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War of words

I was pained to read the language used by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh against BJP leader L.K. Advani during a press conference in Mumbai (April 14). He would do well to remember when he accuses Mr. Advani of weeping in a corner while hoodlums tore down a centuries-old mosque that he himself spent sleepless nights when the parents of a terror suspect were being questioned by the police.

Col. C.V. Venugopalan (retd.),

Palakkad

* * *

It was the BJP that started the ‘weak Prime Minister’ issue. After starting the war of words, it is finding it difficult to digest the rebuttals. India is a democracy, not a dictatorship where a so-called ‘strong’ leader can do what he likes. Apart from the fact that coalition governance requires a consensus, the Prime Minister is expected to take his Cabinet into confidence before taking any major decision even if a single party gets a majority.

If Dr. Singh consulted his coalition partners and the UPA chairperson on all issues, it only means that our democracy is mature and strong. I hope the BJP will change course and confine itself to policies rather than personalities.

S.N. Iyer,

Bangalore

* * *

The BJP has been projecting Mr. Advani as a strong leader who can take quick decisions. But as Home Minister, he could not take a decision to prevent the massacre of 1,500 people in Gujarat. A strong leader is not necessarily one who takes quick decisions. He needs to take accurate, fruitful and competent decisions. Dr. Singh’s comments on Mr. Advani are justified.

Syed Danish,

New Delhi

* * *

Mr. Advani’s frequent jibes at Dr. Singh, calling him a weak Prime Minister, are in bad taste. Dr. Singh is a technocrat of proven administrative ability even though he is soft-spoken. He has held various posts such as the Governor of the Reserve Bank and Finance Minister in the Narasimha Rao government. We should be proud to have such an eminent person as our Prime Minister.

G. Sankara Pillai,

Ottapalam

* * *

The Congress is constantly referring to the Kandahar hijack and criticising the NDA government’s act of releasing three terrorists in exchange for the safety of the passengers on board an Indian Airlines plane.

The Prime Minister even compares the incident to the Mumbai terror attack to assert that his government’s response to terrorism was stronger. One would like to know what action Dr. Singh, had he been the Prime Minister, have taken to get the hostages released from Kandahar — located in a hostile country.

C.M. Balachandran,

Kozhikode

* * *

The spat between the leaders of the major national parties has only served to devalue the electoral process. Mr. Advani’s diatribe against Dr. Singh, calling him a weak Prime Minister, will certainly send a wrong message to the outside world, especially at a time when India is under attack from outside forces.

And the Congress raking up the Kandahar issue will lead to a further erosion of our unity. Both the BJP and the Congress are responsible for whatever has happened in the past. But the elections should be fought over issues affecting the daily lives of the people.

N. Divakar,

Mysore

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