A middle-class cause

It is surprising that political parties always say all sections of the public are happy when they are in power and, when in the Opposition, suddenly declare that people, especially the poor and farmers, are suffering a great deal (May 3).

I am referring to Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi and his attempts to reach out to the middle class. By accusing the NDA government of trying to dilute the real estate Bill, has Mr. Gandhi forgotten that it was the Congress that was in power for decades? What did the Congress do then and why didn’t it take care of the interests of these sections?

Gurajala Alekhya,

Secunderabad

All this while, the key constituency of the Congress was the ' >Rahul takes up a middle class cause ' and ' >Rahul protecting Vadra's cronies ' are dynamically opposite news as Vadra is famous for his land grabbing and protecting his cronies will mean protecting Vadra himself. If in same breathe Rahul says he will fight for middle class housing, then he will have to clarify his intentions to one and all. Till now Congress's aam aadmi . The middle class never seemed to be on its agenda. If the Congress and Rahul now want to look towards the middle class, they will have to be watchful while making assurances. The middle class is one section that is known to ask searching questions and cannot be taken for a ride.

Maya Hemant Bhatkar,

Mumbai

Rahul’s recent sabbatical has turned out to be a shot in the arm for the Congress. His batting for serious issues such as the plight of farmers, agrarian distress and other related causes show that he is a rising force in politics. But all this should not be a flash in the pan. He has to make the ruling BJP realise that even with its minuscule numerical strength in the Opposition, the Congress can still play a vital role in Parliament. For now, Rahul needs to keep going ahead as this is the only way he can get the Congress out of its miserable state.

R. Sridharan,

Chennai

The fact of the matter is that farmers in India have no long-term vision of their occupation and politicians have no role to play. In all this, the matter now lies between the government and the farmers. That realtors have been having a field day all these years is something that cannot be denied by anyone. Builders must have fixed their profits first, then hunted for a cheap deal in getting swathes of land and then constructed buildings to sell at exorbitant prices. It is the gullible middle class that has fallen prey to their game. What was the Congress doing all this while?

T.M. Renganathan,

Srirangam, Tamil Nadu