BJP’s southern foray

• The BJP by their actions in Karnataka are proving the old adage of looking a gift horse in the mouth. Irrespective of the problems that they have been having with the JD(S), they should have made sure that they held the reins of government in Karnataka come October, for the simple reason that they had an agreement on that. The JD(S), in the normal course, could not have refused to transfer power. This would have enabled them to head a government in South India , for the first time. More important, it would have been in the advantageous position of running the elections in Karnataka from a position of strength when the general elections came along. The party squandered this chance by first over-reacting to the Rama Sethu comments by the TN CM and allowing its supporters to target his daughter’s house in Bangalore and attack a bus near Hosur. Two people were killed in the process.

Secondly, the BJP MLA from Bellary cast aspersions, that too of murder, against his own CM, displaying a complete lack of maturity. These incidents raise serious doubts about whether the BJP will be able to maintain law and order in the state, given its track record. It has shown no leadership worth the name in the state.

— S. Kamat

Alto Betim, Goa

Gandhi’s jagir?

• Is it not odd that a Gandhi who represented India at a UN General Assembly function observing the Father of the Nation’s birthday as the International Day of Non-Violence, is neither related to him nor is the rightful inheritor of his moral and philosophical legacy? While addressing the UN, Sonia Gandhi called for “courage to follow Gandhiji’s foot steps”. But how did she follow Gandhiji?

... contd.