Clamour for OPS

Refer to ‘NPS review welcome;’ the Central Government’s proposal to review the NPS may be an exercise in futility because all government employees covered under the NPS have upped their ante across the country, with non-BJP-ruled states having already announced the implementation of the OPS. Employees’ demand for the restoration of the OPS is gaining momentum, especially with elections ahead. In Himachal, the BJP lost to the Congress only on the promise of restoring the OPS. The AAP government in Punjab has already implemented it. The restoration of the OPS all over the country is imperative for the Central dispensation and BJP-ruled states, otherwise it may prove a nightmare for the party at the hustings.

Maheshwer Sharma, by mail

Selective action

Refer to ‘Misuse of probe agencies’; targeting politicians belonging to Opposition parties by the CBI, ED and income tax departments is not a coincidence. The rate of conviction has been negligible during the past arrests by these agencies. How is it possible that only politicians and businessmen in Opposition-ruled states are corrupt? These agencies have been constituted to target all defaulters and not only selected ones. The AAP cannot brand its own politicians as ‘kattar imaandaar’ and others as corrupt. Also, the BJP cannot claim that only its leaders are honest. Calling for the autonomy of these agencies when in the Opposition, and using them against opponents when in power has shown that such agencies have only been misused by parties in power. Their use to settle political scores and for political mileage by Central and state governments is not justifiable.

Wg Cdr (Dr) JS Minhas (retd), Mohali

Not above bias

With their increasing politicisation, there has been a glaring abuse of investigative agencies such as the CBI, NIA and ED to target political opponents and other dissenters (‘Misuse of probe agencies’). The BJP-led Centre has earned the dubious reputation of causing excessive federalisation of the political landscape. The image of these agencies has been tarnished by allegations of corruption, excesses, lack of transparency and their alleged nexus with the ruling elite. Weaponisation of federal probe agencies and their selective and biased approach must be stopped to restore their credibility. Professional ethics demand that probe agencies must owe their allegiance to the Constitution and the rule of law, and not to political masters. Hopefully, the plea of 14 Opposition parties in the apex court and a parliamentary panel’s recommendations will help ensure the enactment of a new law clearly defining their powers, functions and jurisdiction.

DS Kang, Hoshiarpur

Credibility at stake

In reference to ‘Misuse of probe agencies’; the rising misuse of national agencies is alarming. These institutions are supposed to be unbiased to make people feel secure, but if the current situation persists, the agencies would end up losing their credibility in the eyes of the public.

Yamini Verma, Chandigarh

Arrest guidelines

Opposition parties led by the Congress are seeking pre- and post-arrest guidelines to be followed by the ED and the CBI. These Central agencies strictly follow the standard operating procedure before going ahead either at pre-arrest or post-arrest stages in all sensitive matters. One hopes that the concerns of the aggrieved parties would be addressed by the apex court as it is now seized of this important matter.

RAMESH GUPTA, NARWANA

Not new to controversy

Refer to ‘Martyr’s son called Mir Jafar but no case filed: Priyanka’; Rahul seems to court controversies. ‘Proof of Balakot airstrike’, ‘tearing of Ordinance’, ‘chowkidar chor hai’, ‘all thieves have Modi surname’ or the recent ‘democracy under threat’ etc are some examples. His conviction and sentence was issued by a court. What does the BJP have to do with it? He should take a legal recourse instead of giving it a political colour. Had he apologised in the Surat court, as he did earlier in the Supreme Court, he would not have faced this situation today.

WG CDR CL SEHGAL (RETD), JALANDHAR

Robotics in schools

There are lakhs of unemployed people in Punjab. Seeing the continuous rise of advancement in technology, more skilled employees are essential to cater to the needs of the next generation. Punjab can use this need as a strength to take the lead in technological production. If the study of robotics is made compulsory in schools, the youth could look forward to a career in the IT industry. In this way, the unemployment rate will decrease and Punjab can become the lead exporter in technology.

Jayani Mattu, by mail

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