Opinion Opposition vacancy
The BJP apparently has become a party wherein a few individuals call all the shots,based on their whims and hardline stance on all issues.
• The BJP apparently has become a party wherein a few individuals call all the shots,based on their whims and hardline stance on all issues. The machinations of these few and their uncompromising vindictiveness are destroying the BJP. The question is: who is fooling whom? Are the top BJP leaders doing the fooling or being fooled? In any case,strife within the party bodes ill for India. The place of its parliamentary opposition is practically vacant,since the BJP has abdicated its responsibility to the country as the main opposition.
Asheesh Shah New Delhi
Own goals
• Pratab Bhanu Mehta has hit the nail on the head by pointing out the causes of trouble within the BJP. The high commands decision to expel its senior leader,Jaswant Singh can boomerang. The BJP finds itself in a situation where the top leadership is unorganised and,instead of cleaning up the post-electoral mess,its looking for scapegoats. It appears as though the party has given up on itself. Its done itself and the country enough damage; its time the BJP top brass began sorting things out. But where will it begin? At the start of the chintan baithak,the partys scored another own goal.
S.K. Gupta Chandigarh
Judging Jinnah
• Jaswant Singhs expulsion from the BJP is unfortunate. Why are we increasingly devaluing freedom of expression? Whatever Singhs written should be accepted within the domain of opinion. Nor has he praised Jinnah without reason. Jinnah was an Indian and an intrinsic part of the freedom struggle. One can differ with his view,but nobody,no party can express judgment on an intellectual debate in terms of right and wrong.
Shailesh Kumar
New Delhi
Inviting ouster?
• What Jaswant Singh has done is unjustifiable; he has after all attacked the BJP idol Sardar Patel. The BJPs reaction then was altogether predictable and one can argue that Singh invited his own expulsion. He may have a case for his constitutional right to free expression. But,every party has a code of conduct,its own table of dos and donts. If a party feels a member has broken ranks or violated discipline,it has the right to punish that member.
M.K.D. Prasada Rao
Ghaziabad
Sugar pills
• This refers to Bitter sweet,. The cobweb phenomenon in agricultural economics indicates that the changing demand in agriculture will be matched by the supply after 18 months for the sugar-cane crop. During this period the economy may have to absorb rising or declining prices,or the government will have to continue playing its supportive role in stabilising prices by adjusting supplies according to demand or as a means of garnering more votes.
Shishir Sindekar
Nasik
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