Congress must introspect

With reference to ‘Himachal crisis’; the political turmoil in the hill state is a testament to the BJP’s hunger for power that prompts it to engineer splits. The saffron party, which can go to any length to win an election, recently got a taste of its own medicine in Karnataka as two of its MLAs betrayed the party candidate — one by backing the Congress contender and the other by abstaining from voting — in the Rajya Sabha polls. However, it is time for the Congress to reflect on the reasons behind party members shifting their loyalty. Dissent does not emerge overnight. It must have been brewing for months. If Himachal CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu fails to address the issue, his days in office will be numbered.

Bal Govind, Noida

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BJP does it again

Apropos of ‘Himachal crisis’, the recent round of Rajya Sabha elections has seen blatant cross-voting by MLAs on a major scale, endangering the Congress government in Himachal Pradesh and embarrassing the Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh. Cross-voting and defections have become increasingly common in politics. They upset the mandate given by the people to their representatives. The BJP has perfected the art of engineering defections in rival parties, especially the Congress, over the last decade through ‘Operation Lotus’. Unfortunately, it is expediency that works in politics. Moral values, ideologies and loyalty are tossed away for power.

Gregory Fernandes, Mumbai

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Strengthen anti-defection law

Refer to ‘Himachal crisis’; it is a pity that the representatives of the people in India, from MLAs to MPs, shift their loyalty frequently to serve their interests. To ensure smooth functioning of democratic institutions across the country, it is important to amend the Representation of the People Act, 1951, and strengthen the anti-defection law to make sure that political leaders do not cross over to other parties. The need of the hour is to discourage defection.

Roop Singh Negi, Solan

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Lax enforcement to blame

Apropos of the editorial ‘SC slams Patanjali’; Ramdev’s proximity to the corridors of power could be the reason behind the inaction against Patanjali Ayurved over misleading advertising. It is unfortunate that the company did not pay heed to the apex court’s warning and continued to engage in unethical advertising practices. The SC’s stern stance on the matter is laudable. The company has blatantly violated the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954. The way the company has been misleading the gullible masses into buying its products is condemnable. The Centre’s lax enforcement of the norms has emboldened such firms.

Roshan Lal Goel, by mail

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Zero tolerance for misleading ads

With reference to ‘SC slams Patanjali’; the company has made crores of rupees by making tall claims about spurious products that it sells. Notably, this is not the first time the firm has come under the scanner for indulging in unethical advertising. During the Covid-19 pandemic, it came up with a product, ‘Coronil’, and touted it as a cure for the disease. It is the political backing that the company enjoys that has shielded it from action. There should be zero tolerance for the sale of spurious products through malicious advertisements.

Wg Cdr JS Minhas (retd), Mohali

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Patanjali only after profit

Refer to ‘SC slams Patanjali’; the Supreme Court deserves kudos for issuing contempt notices to Patanjali Ayurved and its managing director, Acharya Balkrishna. By brazenly continuing to engage in deceptive and misleading advertising to sell its products, the company showed utter disregard for the highest court of the land. Ramdev has made humongous profits in the name of Patanjali. This is unbecoming of people who claim to be spiritual gurus. Saints and babas must shun unethical practices. The apex court must also crack the whip to ensure that the state agencies entrusted with the implementation of the laws do not leave any room for violations.

HMS Nagra, Faridabad

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