That the residents of Unnao, Uttar Pradesh, are defending Kuldeep Singh Sengar, the expelled Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA, despite the fact that he is in jail and charged with raping a young woman, speaks volumes about the money and muscle power of politicians belonging to the ruling party (Front page, “Despite the outrage, Unnao bats for rape-accused Kuldeep Sengar,” August 4). Earlier, some BJP MLAs in the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir government had expressed their solidarity with those involved in the Kathua rape episode. Acts that show tolerance towards the alleged perpetrators of heinous crimes have been on the rise under the previous and current Central governments. The BJP high command, by not reining in such criminals, has only emboldened them and this has had a detrimental impact on the peaceful coexistence between communities. Those in authority should do their best to bring justice to the victims of these crimes.
A. Jainulabdeen,
Chennai
The way in which the Unnao episode is unfolding makes me wonder whether our society has lost all sense of morality and ethics. Even after two years of the incident, the case remains unsolved and amidst so many twists and tragic turns, it has required the Supreme Court’s intervention to fast forward the investigations. Indian society needs to recalibrate its moral compass if we are to progress as a civilisation. With its brute majority, the government should deal with rape cases with a firm hand without showing favour to anybody. Bringing justice to those affected by such crimes is as important as maintaining national security, the government’s pet theme.
A.S. Srinivasan,
Chennai
