Letters. All in the name of power

With reference to ‘Supreme Court orders floor test in Karnataka at 4 pm on Saturday’ ( May18), the Supreme court’s decision, reducing the 15-day window given by the Governor to BJP Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa to prove his majority, must be lauded by 'one and all' as it goes on to ‘undo’ the ‘undue’ favour evidently shown by the Governor. But at the same time, this ‘historic’ verdict should not be viewed solely from the prism of some political suitability more so when the apex court itself made it clear that ‘it would deal with the constitutionality of the Governor’s letter inviting Yeddyurappa to form the government later’.

Interestingly, the SC, while specifying several 'Do's and Don'ts' in this case, also turned down the plea of the Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for the Chief Minister seeking 'reasonable' time till Monday for the floor test apart from not acceding to CM Yeddyurappa’s request for a secret ballot during the floor test. However, it is earnestly wished that the apex court also considers the ‘justifiability’ of the formation of the need-based and totally opportunistic post-poll alliance between the Congress and JD(S). Needless to say, such an unholy alliance virtually defies various ‘moral and ethical’ values of a democratic set up.

Panchkula

By ordering a floor test in the Karnataka Assembly on Saturday at 4 p.m., the Supreme Court has promptly shut the door for horse trading whose prospect had loomed large following the 15-days’ time given by the Governor to the chief minister to prove his majority. With governors remaining political appointees, they prefer to dance to the tunes of their political masters. Whether it is Congress or BJP in power at the centre, the office of governor mostly remains partisan. The prompt intervention by the higher Judiciary to resolve the Karnataka imbroglio is indeed heartening and augurs well for our democracy.

Sholavandan (TN)

With reference to ‘Roller coaster ride’ (May 18), Singh and Modi share the trait of high personal honesty. But then the contrast could also not be more stark. If the former could be faulted on poor oversight, the latter for too much centralisation through the PMO. Thus barring a few, his ministers are wanting in initiative, particularly those who directly affect the lives of the majority of the people — rural and urban development, agriculture, food and public distribution, employment and empowerment. The Congress enjoyed a superior crop of ministers.

Prices of common items remain sticky, unemployment and corruption remain un-addressed and polarisation is on the rise. The increasing feeling is that poor people are not benefiting from programmes and schemes of this government. Amidst distractions from fringe elements of the Right, the BJP is drifting, and seems to concentrate on election strategy than on governance.

Navi Mumbai

With reference to ‘Crude @ $80 gives Govt the jitters’ ( May 18), while the crude price level touching the worrisome figure of $80 per barrel must have ringed some alarm bells, the government is still putting on a brave front. Incidentally, the national media is already agog with the disturbing reports hinting at a ‘singular’ hike of around ₹4 per litre in the retail price of petrol as the government is highly keen to make good the losses amounting to ₹500 crore suffered by the State- owned Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) since April 24 when it invoked the freezing of the auto fuels prices so as to reap political dividends in the just concluded Karnataka elections. However, as regards the economists’ belief that this is the right time to reduce duties and levies because of the comfortable fiscal situation and the temporary nature of the oil price hike, all this could be a mere wishful thinking as this government is highly unlikely to come to the rescue of their ‘end-users’. In fact, it seems to be more concerned about ‘refurbishing’ its revenues of the OMCs at the expanse of the general masses. What else could explain its ‘ill-conceived’ pricing policy that has all along been punishing ‘you & me’ only on some daily basis?

New Delhi

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