Critics and detractors of BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi may say that the show of strength by the BJP during the filing of his nomination papers at Varanasi was stage-managed (“Mother Ganga has called me to Varanasi, says Narendra Modi,” April 25), but the fact remains that they were left flabbergasted on seeing the impressive and long caravan of his supporters. Mr. Modi’s decision to contest from the State of Uttar Pradesh will prove to be a political masterstroke.
C.G. Kuriakose,
Kothamangalam, Kerala
Mr. Modi seeks political gain in all that he does. That he went on a procession in Varanasi to file his nomination papers is a case in point. He could have made these things simple, avoiding inconvenience to the public.
S. Ramakrishnasayee,
Ranipet
Mr Modi’s rhetoric while at Varanasi is at best hypocritical and mocks at the basic intelligence of many. Most people seem to be mesmerised by his speeches. Does he and his party as well as the lifeline units of the BJP — the RSS and the VHP — know and understand the dire state of the Ganga, the river these people swear by, invoking the Hindu fervour call of “Ma”?
The Ganga is one of the most polluted rivers in the world. Governments at the Centre and in the States the river flows through have not cared about the river and its sustainability. What have the BJP, the RSS or the VHP done in real terms to save it? Mr. Modi’s campaign would have got a huge boost and meaning, and demonstrated his “fabled ability to get things done” if BJP workers had instead directed their energy and organisational capability to save the river, cleanse it, its route and its banks from the filth and pollutants.
Anilkumar Kurup,
Thiruvananthapuram
