Mission Rajasthan
The allegation by Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot that the BJP is trying to topple his government in the midst of the pandemic cannot be brushed aside (Page 1, July 12). The ruling party, ever since it assumed power at the Centre, has been accused of indulging in political games using money and muscle power. How can one forget the events in Karnataka, Manipur and Goa? The ruling party could be forgetting that the people are watching. Democracy is not about winning elections alone.
J. Anantha Padmanabhan,
Tiruchi, Tamil Nadu
It appears that the BJP is on a toppling spree of Opposition-ruled State governments. The Narendra Modi government came to office in 2014 and retained power in 2019 with the promise of clean administration but its actions in the past year seem to be with the main aim of snatching power by subverting democracy.
N.A. Joseph,
Ettumanoor, Kottayam, Kerala
What is Mr. Gehlot striving to accomplish by going public? Is he is naive and expecting that the BJP will refrain from pulling the rug under his feet after his public indictment? The anti-defection law has failed to deter India’s law-makers as inducements outweigh the cost of losing the seat. The Indian National Congress has indulged in horse trading during its heyday and is now getting a taste of its own medicine. All parties are cut from the same cloth and it is like the pot calling the kettle black. Even if a piece of legislation is enacted to disqualify such turncoats for life it may not have any bearing on them as their sole purpose of entering politics, to make money, would have been accomplished. Contemporary politics is a great money-spinner and morals and ethics have taken a backseat. Voters are left with no meaningful choice which is also why such MPs and MLAs have the gumption to put up a brave face and confront the electorate brazenly and repeatedly.
Deepak Singhal,
Chennai
Crime, law, politics
The gangster, Vikas Dubey, undoubtedly deserved severe punishment — either the death penalty or life sentence. Whatever be the case, it should have been done after observance of all the legal and judicial processes. The brutality of the police, in this case the Uttar Pradesh police, in the name of an encounter was unwarranted. The police taking the law into its own hands and delivering instantaneous death penalty disregarding processes and procedures prescribed in the Indian Penal Code are barbaric and unconstitutional. The “encounter” which is being used in a routine or an easy way by the police to eliminate criminals on the whims and fancies of the powers-that-be will have to be be curbed. The judiciary must intervene.
Manoharan Muthuswamy,
Ramanathapuram, Tamil Nadu
The so-called ‘encounter’ appears to be a well-scripted play overseen by a remote ‘director’. Why was a hardcore criminal not even handcuffed? Is it so easy to snatch a weapon from the police and attack them? The politician-criminal-police nexus is not an exaggeration and most encounters are ‘executed’ more often to settle personal scores than out of some genuine reason. The police cannot and should not take the law into their own hands. Their job is to investigate, frame charges and produce the accused in court and it is for the judiciary to hand out the appropriate punishment, if the charges are proved beyond doubt.
A. Jainulabdeen,
Chennai
A small-time dadha grows into a Frankenstein monster. He attains political clout, gains wealth and becomes a threat. He commits heinous crimes but exploits loopholes in the system to stay ahead. The politician on the other hand, needs the muscle power of the goonda and the criminal, at times, climbs the political ladder. There seems to be no way to keeping out criminals from getting into the system.
S.V. Venkatakrishnan,
Bengaluru
