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Helpless PM

Sir, — Your Editorial `Mr. Thackeray's power play' (Aug. 22) gives ample proof of Bal Thackeray's `remote control'. It is a pity that when questions were raised about tainted persons being inducted into the Union Cabinet, it was certified as the Prime Minister's prerogative. On the other hand, Mr. Prabhu, an efficient Minister, who actively engaged the State Governments in an effort to reform the power sector, was forced to resign for party work. It is shocking to see Mr. Vajpayee's helplessness in yielding to Mr. Thackeray to ensure that his Government's magic number remained intact.

Bidyut Kumar Chatterjee,
Faridabad, U.P.

Sir, — The resignation of Mr. Prabhu, a Shiv Sena nominee, who has been earning encomiums for his performance as well as personal integrity, is disturbing. It affects the honour of the Prime Minister, whose supreme authority gets abridged in the process. In a coalition government, there is bound to be friction between the majority wielding party and one or more of its partners. But, in the present instance, the situation is totally different, having arisen from a personal predilection of an individual; the party chief concerned, seems to have forced the unwilling hand of the Prime Minister.

A.N. Ganapathy,
Chennai

Sir, — It is unfortunate that an efficient Minister like Mr. Prabhu is made to quit. How farcical that we are talking of power reforms, on the one hand, and the reform-friendly Minister is forced to quit, on the other. Mr. Prabhu was pursuing the path of reforms in full swing. The Prime Minister should have persuaded the Sena supremo to let Mr. Prabhu continue.

Mahesh Langa,
Ahmedabad

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