Opinion Israel’s calculations

Inquilab,published from Mumbai,Delhi,Lucknow,Kanpur and Bareilly,sees an Israeli effort to disturb the existing ties between India and Iran. The paper writes: “The Israeli government is very worried about India’s refusal to yield to US and Israeli pressure. In this scenario,one would not be surprised if these blasts were conducted by Mossad itself.”

Khurshid’s do-or-die

The Delhi-based Hamara Samaj has taken a critical view of Union Law Minister Khurshid’s recent statements. In an editorial on February 13,it writes: “Khan Saheb (Salman Khurshid) has tried to hit several birds with one stone. He is seeing to it that his wife Louise Khurshid’s seat is safe,and he knows that in the present election,whatever effort the Congress is making,it is difficult to win even 50 seats. In such a situation,he can paint as rosy a picture as he likes,but people will remember that when the backward biradari of Muslims had raised the issue of reservations,the same Salman saheb was issuing statements against the biradari day and night. Why did he not show the fighting spirit for minority rights then?”

Hyderabad’s leading daily,Munsif,writes in an editorial on February 13: “ The question is why Salman Khurshid saheb has suddenly developed so much sympathy for Muslims that he is willing to be hanged for removing their backwardness. If an assessment is made of the period after his assuming the office of a minister,he has not revealed any performance worth mentioning.” The paper goes on to say his role has consistently been that of damaging his own (“ghar ko aag lag gayee,ghar ke chiraagh se”).

Rashtriya Sahara too,on February 13,warns against “taking up cudgels against constitutional bodies”,saying it “would not be advisable for politicians.” The paper says it backs the quota,but says “taking issue with constitutional bodies,for politicians,would make them lose popularity amongst people.”

The Delhi-based Jadeed Khabar,on the same day,offers another take. It asks why,if Khurshid has been censured by the Election Commission,have “BJP and other communal groups been left free to disturb the atmosphere on the issue of the sub-quota,by criticising it to promote their own interests?” The editor of the daily Inquilab,Shakeel Shamsi,in a signed column on February 13,has lauded the work of the election commission and expressed discomfort at the row between Khurshid and the CEC.

Coup in Maldives

The daily Siasat,published from Hyderabad and Bengaluru,writes in an editorial on February 9: “Bringing the 30-year old dictatorial rule in Maldives to an end,Mohamed Nasheed tried to give democratic government to a Muslim-majority country.” However,the paper argues,in his four years,he demonstrated “shortcomings and drawbacks”,referring to “unpopular” decisions involving “nepotism and allegations of corruption.” The paper believes that “the people of Maldives,who strictly followed Islamic teachings,were not willing to tolerate un-Islamic practices in their country”,referring to the “restoration of flights to Israel and allowing entry to Israeli tourists to the country.”

Compiled by Seema Chishti