Mind the gaffe

Sir — The comment made by the Bharatiya Janata Party leader, Sushma Swaraj, that the serial blasts in Bangalore and Ahmedabad were the result of a conspiracy hatched by the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance, was outrageous. Swaraj said that the UPA was trying to divert attention from the cash-for-vote scandal and recapture Muslim votes by masterminding the blasts (“BJP guns for govt”, July 29). This kind of unthinking statements only make the real culprits behind blasts laugh all the way to a new attack. The offenders know that when the political parties are busy squabbling among themselves, they cannot give any serious thought to the rounding up of the criminals. Swaraj should have thought twice before making the comment, which seems to have been occasioned by nothing more than her personal grudge against Sonia Gandhi. But now that she has said it, Swaraj should prove her charges. Otherwise, she should apologize to the Congress and retract her statement.

Yours faithfully,
N. Nagarajan, Secunderabad

Sir — It seems that the BJP has started identifying the Congress with some malignant star which is not letting it acquire the power position it is after. Only a few days ago, the chief minister of Gujarat, Narendra Modi, blamed the UPA government for the drought in his state. His line of reasoning was unique. He said that the Central government has angered god, whoever that might be, by its stance on the Amarnath issue and by suggesting the demolition of Ram Setu. The monsoon’s delay in Gujarat, Modi reasoned, was the evidence of divine wrath. One can only laugh at such presumptions. And now one of the seniormost leaders of the BJP, Sushma Swaraj, has provided the occasion for even more derisive laughter by laying the blame for the blasts at the UPA’s door. Swaraj’s comment is not surprising, if one remembers that she had once threatened to shave her head and wear a white sari if Sonia Gandhi became the country’s prime minister. Her claim might be ridiculous but it is also dangerous, especially if one considers the political position Swaraj holds. She should not have been so rash with her tongue when speaking to the press.

Swaraj’s outburst makes it clear that the BJP still cannot accept the fact of its defeat in the trust vote. Does the BJP’s concern for votes override that for human lives? If the party is indifferent towards the people, then how can it hope to govern India? The BJP’s prime ministerial candidate, L.K. Advani, should clarify whether Swaraj’s views are her own or that of her party as well.

Yours faithfully,
Bidyut Kumar Chatterjee, Faridabad

Sir — It is true that the stance of pseudo-secularism adopted by the Congress has prevented the government from taking any stern measures against terrorism. It is a fact that terror attacks in India have increased in frequency after the UPA government repealed the Prevention of Terrorism Act in 2004. At the same time, the Congress or the UPA government cannot be held directly responsible for the attacks. Sushma Swaraj, as a leader of the country’s second-largest political party, has dragged the BJP in particular and Indian politics in general to a new low by bringing an unproven allegation against the ruling party. She has not only slighted the Congress but also trivialized the deaths in Ahmedabad and Bangalore. Investigative agencies need to take note of Swaraj’s remarks and subject her to questioning. Else, she will continue to make politically charged comments that will spread further hostility in the country.

Yours faithfully,
Subhash Chandra Agrawal, Dariba, Delhi

Sir — At a time when the nation needs to stand united and help the Centre fight terrorism, the BJP’s Sushma Swaraj is trying to stoke hostile sentiments by pointing accusing fingers at the Congress. Just because both series of blasts happened in BJP-ruled states, one cannot deduce that they were acts of sabotage by the Congress-led Central government. Swaraj’s comment was reckless. By reducing the blasts to a matter of contention between two parties, she has shown disrespect to all those who have lost their family members in the attacks. After these comments, Swaraj has no right to call herself a responsible politician.

Yours faithfully,
Subhabrata Roy, Calcutta

Untrained staff

Sir — We had booked tickets for five in the Bhubaneswar-Howrah Dhauli Express for July 11. I came to know later that the train had been cancelled till July 31. I had no option but to book afresh on a different train. The new arrangement meant that we had to cut down our already brief vacation by half a day as the other train takes more time than the Dhauli Express. However, I was in for a ruder shock when I went to cancel the Dhauli tickets. Indian Railways has decided to impose stationery charges of Rs 40 per head in case of cancellation of tickets even for a train cancelled by them. Thus we ended up paying Rs 200 extra for no fault of our own. We appreciate Lalu Prasad’s efforts to generate more revenue for the railways. But I cannot talk of my experience but as an example of unfair business practice.

Yours faithfully,
Suchandra Chakravarty, Calcutta

Sir — I was travelling to Sealdah with my friend and his pregnant wife by the Teesta-Torsa Express on July 18. There were over 30 foreigners travelling with us in the same compartment. Although all of us had confirmed reservation, none of us got a sleeper berth, as all the seats had been occupied by Trinamul Congress cadre. When we protested, they threatened us. When the train reached Malda town, we contacted the railway protection force and the ticket examiner on board. They refused to help us and at the same time, did not accept our written complaint. So we came back to Sealdah without any of us, including the pregnant lady, getting any berth or seat. How long do we have to suffer hoodlums posing as party cadre?

Yours faithfully,
Debasis Mandal, Calcutta