Letters to the Editor: AAP’s immaturity doesn’t bode well for Punjab

AAP’s immaturity doesn’t bode well for Punjab

The meeting held by AAP supremo and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal with senior officials of Punjab government this week have betrayed his ambition and intention to act as ‘Super CM’ of Punjab and does not portend well for the democratic governance of the sensitive border state. The development also validated fears and concerns ever since AAP surprised everyone by gaining majority in Punjab that the party leadership was so caught up with the excitement of forming a government in a full-fledged state where it has control over law and order machinery, unlike Delhi, that it may act immature and go for an overkill. Incidentally, Punjab Police has also lodged FIRs against some BJP leaders and summoned them for allegedly casting aspersions on Kejriwal, leading BJP to point out that it had governments in several states and could easily hit back in the same manner. The AAP would do well to act in a mature manner.

Rupinder Kaur, Amritsar

The judiciary must rescue democracy

The governments in India are increasingly becoming dictatorial and authoritative showing scant regard to the democratic procedures and institutions. What we saw in Madhya Pradesh’s Khargone is sad and worrisome. The state home minister said that “the houses of those who pelted stones would be reduced to mounds of stones” and withing hours the sarkari bulldozers razed several buildings to the ground. Are we living in the medieval ages where the farman of the king used to be the law? Is there no Constitution in this country? The only institution that can save the Constitution and democracy in this country now is the judiciary. We, the helpless citizens, urge the honourable high courts and the Supreme Court to take cognisance of this blatant injustice and rein in the power-drunk in their tracks.

Subhan Ansari, Gaya

The rising hate

Can we Indians not celebrate our festivals without showing hatred towards other religions? Is one religion’s greatness relative to some other religion’s abasement, that is, the more we deride other faiths, the greater our faith will look? I can speak on behalf of my own religion, that is Hinduism, and can proudly say that the scope of Hinduism is far broader than the imagination of the bigoted. You can worship any deity you like without any conflict with others who worship some other god/goddess. The hatein the name of religion, therefore, is not only inimical to the spirit of Hinduism, it is also damaging to our national unity and the social fabric. All the right-thinking people must therefore condemn religious bigotry and spread the message of tolerance.

Ashutosh Pant, Haldwani

(This was first published in National Herald on Sunday)