Opinion - Letters to the Editor   

Disturbing trend

Sir, — The BJP's victory proves that Narendra Modi's hate politics has paid rich dividends. It shows that the people were swayed by religious sentiments and not their intelligence while casting their votes, which is a disturbing trend.

The Congress has only itself to blame. It was confused about the stand it should adopt, and ended up peddling the communal card — although a much softer one — which proved its undoing. When the people had to choose between the BJP and the Congress, they opted for the party that had started the communal frenzy. Even as the BJP celebrates, right-minded people have every reason to feel incensed at the voters who provided Mr. Modi another opportunity to ruin Gujarat.

V. Rajesh,
Mumbai

Sir, — The BJP's landslide victory was a foregone conclusion from the day of the Godhra massacre. In a democracy, the people elect a government depending on its performance but Gujarat has started a new trend of polarisation and its people have easily been deceived in the name of Hindutva. This is the real danger for India.

The BJP and the Sangh Parivar must remember what Jonathan Swift said: "We have just enough religion to make us hate but not enough to make us love one another."

Bidyut Kumar Chatterjee,
Faridabad, Haryana

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