Opinion - Letters to the Editor

Deplorable

The contents of the campaign VCD released by the BJP ahead of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections exposes the politicians who seek to destroy national integrity for political gains. Inflaming religious sentiments leading to bloodshed and gaining political mileage from it has become common in our country. One wonders what reaction the party anticipated to scenes of Muslims kidnapping a Hindu girl and torturing her, and youths pledging to free the country from the so-called traitors. Is it necessary for a national party that has been in power at the Centre to involve in such dirty tricks to capture power in a State? Such unpleasant, imaginary contents, questioning our national integrity should not find a place in a newspaper of The Hindu 's stature.

A.S. Amjath Ibrahim,
Madurai

The BJP's plea to the Election Commission that it is innocent is a farce. It is typical of a political party caught in the act. The ECI should take appropriate action, punitive if necessary. It should not accept the plea of innocence, ignorance or apology.

V.P. Ramesan,
Tripunithura

Campaign through the notorious CD is a criminal offence. It is against the interests of the peace-loving people of India. Religious harmony should not be jeopardised in the name of electioneering. The CD producer's confession that he did not deviate from the script given to him by the local BJP unit exposes the party. What a shame!

M.K. Chand Raj,
Thiruvananthapuram

The Election Commission should not rest content with filing an FIR against the BJP leaders. It should use all the authority at its command to ensure that those who have conceived, manufactured, and distributed the offending CD with a deliberate intent to inflame passions face exemplary punishment. While such acts of desperation from activists of a party that fears poor performance are understandable, they are not pardonable.

Shahabuddin Nadeem,
Bangalore

The third-rate melodrama studded with falsehoods which has been produced by the sangh parivar's creative geniuses, almost certainly endorsed by the think-tank, and freely peddled by its propagandists has received well-deserved condemnation by the Election Commission.

This violation of the Constitution must be followed up with decisive judicial action against the perpetrators. It also calls for the silent majority of Hindus to openly distance itself from Hindu communalism.

Vasantha Surya,
Chennai

The "inadvertently" released CD that shows cows being slaughtered by Muslim butchers, Hindu girls being seduced by Muslim men, and Muslims breeding prolifically denigrates Muslims and mocks our common Indian-ness. Notwithstanding what the saffron brigade wants us to believe, India is a unique land enriched by many religions and cultures. In the ongoing epic battle between Hindutva and secularism for the soul of India, the choice is clear.

G. David Milton,
Maruthancode

"Playing foul" (editorial, April 17) is the mildest description of the utterly demonic and diabolic method of harvesting votes. These are testing times for our pluralism that appears to be fully safe under the scrutiny of the ECI, which will hopefully take stringent action against the BJP so as to eliminate the communal arrogance of the party and other political outfits under the influence of fundamentalists of various hues.

Kasim Sait,
Chennai

The CD controversy reaffirms the fact that even after 60 years of independence, religion has not disappeared from the Indian political landscape.

The BJP's sectarian politics and its militant use of religious nationalism pose a serious challenge to secularism.

The Election Commission should ensure that the BJP is rebuffed and made accountable for any disruptive activities.

T. Marx,
Karaikal

The communally inflammatory CD — released in an "unauthorised" manner and "promptly withdrawn" in a couple of days — is against the Constitution. It has inflicted the intended damage in one day. That it has been withdrawn without any apology is the hallmark of the sangh parivar.

Those who demolished the Babri Masjid were described as `vandals' unknown to the sangh parivar. Now the CD has also been apparently released unknown to the parivar. One wonders how society can accept such manipulation 60 years after attaining Independence. Will politicians cutting across party lines expose the ideology of the perpetrators of this social crime?

Sqn. Ldr. B.G. Prakash,
Bangalore

The CD is a threat to India's future. The BJP is doing exactly what the British did through the divide and rule policy. If politicians indulge in such cheap gimmicks, what the effect will be on us — who study in schools along with students belonging to different religions — can be well imagined.

Yasar Abdur Rahman,
New Delhi

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