One meet, two versions
With two diametrically opposite versions emerging after the meeting of the Parliamentary Ethics Committee, which was called to hear Trinamool Congress Member of Parliament (MP) Mahua Moitra’s defence against the charges levelled against her by Bharatiya Janata Party MP Nishikant Dubey (Page 1, November 3), neutral observers are left with uncertainty over which version to believe. It seems, as of now, ‘reality is outsourced to the narrative skills’ of the MPs concerned to convince the people of ‘really what happened during the meeting’. At this juncture, one wonders why the proceedings of the Ethics Committee cannot be live-streamed, like the way in which parliamentary proceedings are done already. In a country which is portrayed as the “mother of democracy”, the expectation is that Members of Parliament, especially the “Ethics Committee” members, must have a strong sense of shared reality.
A. Venkatasubramanian,
Tiruchi, Tamil Nadu
Only time will tell whether or not Ms. Moitra is guilty of the ‘cash-for-query’ charge. But the episode has definitely helped the national party to temporarily divert public attention from the serious allegations made against a prominent business group in the country that is accused of going on an acquisition spree.
G.G. Menon,
Tripunithura, Ernakulam, Kerala
Raids and summons
That the Enforcement Directorate raids only the abodes and business places of Opposition leaders and is hardly seen to be going anywhere near members of the ruling alliance, despite many of them alleged to be corrupt as well, has given rise to the strong perception that the ED is dancing only to the tunes of the ruling dispensation. In the circumstances, the decision of the Delhi Chief Minister not to appear before the ED, attributing its summons to be ‘unsustainable in law and motivated’, could seem reasonable.
Tharcius S. Fernando,
Chennai
It is ludicrous to resort to political rhetoric in response to summons issued by an authorised officer under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The law clarifies that the persons so summoned are bound to be present and state the truth. In refusing to be there in response to statutory summons, a sitting Chief Minister has sadly betrayed his contempt for the rule of law.
S.K. Choudhury,
Bengaluru
Direct train service needed
It is a matter of great concern for the residents of Tiruvannamalai, a temple town and in close proximity to Chennai, that Tiruvannamalai has been deprived of direct train connectivity for the past 16 years. During the metre gauge period up to 2007, a direct train operated from Tambaram.
The temple town railway station has just 12 pairs of trains, with varied frequencies.
This lack of attention is causing much inconvenience to residents, visitors and pilgrims alike.
Naveen B.,
Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu
Phenomenal
The way in which India is progressing unhindered in this cricket World Cup leaves us wondering whether all this is surreal. Now that the team has got into the semis, the real battle starts now, as even a single defeat is expensive.
C.K. Ramani,
Mumbai
