30-year career. The vacuum created by his tragic death will be difficult to fill.

— S.N. Kabra

Mumbai

Irreplaceable?

•Y.S.R. Reddy’s career has not been one of political manipulation; he conducted his affairs earnestly and honestly. His 1500 km padayatra across Andhra Pradesh in 2003 was not performed for the sake of votes alone as one could see his consistent efforts at bettering the livelihood of the state’s residents after his 2004 election victory. YSR successfully implemented various projects for rural employment, irrigation and rural healthcare. That he personally oversaw most projects earned him the respect of both the masses and politicians. It will undoubtedly be difficult to replace him. But one wonders though how even VIPs don’t have adequate travel safety. The cause of the chopper

crash must be investigated thoroughly.

— Bidyut K. Chatterjee

Faridabad

•It is saddening to hear of YSR’s death, and one instinctively questions our aviation safety standards. Did the relevant authorities not advise him that bad weather would be a hazard or did he travel nevertheless? This is a loss for many. Given that he was respected by so many, the Congress will struggle to find a successor. Further, he was a younger member of the party, capable of changing things.

— Crishna S. Kumar

Dombivli

Right decision

•Credit should be given to Justice S. Ravindra Bhatt of the Delhi high court for a landmark judgment (‘Assets under RTI’, IE, September 3). Bhatt has displayed an obvious regard for the law by claiming that all are equal under the Constitution and thus subject to the same rules. Judges are thus as accountable as other public servants. It is hoped that the CJI will accept this ruling.

— V. Rajalakshmi

Mumbai

Thin advantage

•The editorial ‘Drawing boards’ (IE, September 2) gets it right. The Congress may err in judging the NCP’s position on the basis of Maharashtra’s Lok Sabha results. The state is beset with problems concerning the average citizen and anti-incumbency may jeopardise the ruling alliance. As such, the assembly elections are going to be crucial for the Congress-NCP alliance, as voters will judge the Congress on the basis of the NCP liability. However, the Congress may still have it easy as the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance offers little alternative.

— S.K. Gupta

Chandigarh