Rahul Gandhi is a smart and intelligent politician. From here on, he has a very bright political future. It is time the BJP leaders gave Rahul the due respect that he truly deserves and stopped making fun of him (‘RaGa finds rhythm’, July 7).
Rahul’s growing stature has generated whoops of delight among those who want democracy to thrive in our beloved country. It is time for Rahul to assert himself, even as he measures his words and gestures. He should work hard as leader of the opposition and mould himself as the voice of the people, which, I suppose, has already started. Rahul led two long marches across the country in the run-up to the election, and that has helped him in a major way. Recently, it was a sheer joy to see him talk with confidence to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah in the Lok Sabha. Modi and Shah had no option but to sit and listen. I am glad that finally things are going in the right direction.
Viki Asthana,
On email.
The BJP leaders should stop belittling and ridiculing Rahul in the manner that they have done over the last so many years. The ‘Pappu’ barbs were uncalled for. It has backfired today. If there was a moment when Rahul truly emerged, it is now.
Rahul’s attendance in Parliament has been poor. The BJP leaders had made fun of his frequent absence. So, the onus is on Rahul to ensure that he attends Parliament regularly.
Yes, the big turning point in the Rahul story was the Kanniyakumari-to-Kashmir Bharat Jodo Yatra. Shah can learn from Rahul and take a walk across the length and breadth of the country. It will work wonders for Shah, and bring down his arrogance. Let this be a lesson for all.
Anoop Krishnan,
On email.
Even during an intensely fought election Rahul found the time to visit all, and hear them out. I am happy that Rahul has got a cabinet-rank post, and can be called a shadow prime minister. It was the most disgusting thing to have called Rahul ‘Pappu’. Shame on such people.
In fact, there are similar names for Modi, Shah and a few others in the BJP. I recently came across a name for Jay Shah of the BCCI. I am not going to mention these names in public. That is civilised behaviour on my part. How I wish the BJP leaders and their fans had behaved like me.
Suresh Gaikwad,
On email.
Even recently, in Parliament, Modi had the audacity to call Rahul ‘balak buddhi’ (childish mind). Modi is showing no signs of changing, which is regrettable. Modi should attack and counter Rahul on matters of policies and governance, and should never get personal. It reflects badly on Modi, and does not suit a leader of his stature.
Pravesh Kothari,
On email.
Why are we getting so gung-ho on Rahul? I find no difference at all in the Congress leader—Rahul cannot be compared with Modi. He has a long way to go to reach anywhere near Modi. As one ages it is natural to get wiser, and Rahul is showing maturity because he is getting older. It is as simple as that.
Modi is going to emerge stronger in his third term, and the BJP will cross 350 seats in 2029. Rahul and his party, the Congress, will have to wait for at least 10 years to be in the treasury benches.
Govind Sharma,
On email.
It will certainly help Rahul if he doesn’t get overconfident with his party’s impressive showing and continues to work hard at the grassroots level. The Congress has a chance to revive its diminished fortunes but hard work would be the key to its success, especially with a few assembly elections around the corner.
Saikrit Gulati,
On email.
Complete mess
The NEET controversy has definitely tarnished the image of the Union government and could have been avoided had there been a proper system in place. The National Testing Agency (NTA) is in a mess today and has become a political liability of sorts for the government (‘Testing times’, July 7). I blame Dharmendra Pradhan for the controversy. He should have resigned in the first place.
All this is going to affect the morale of the students, who are the future of the country. The government has to urgently work towards ensuring transparency in examinations so that the trust of students in the system is preserved.
Gaurav Mishra,
On email.
A film about Cyriac
The journey of Cyriac Alencheril was inspiring (‘Living to tell the tale’, July 7). I found it difficult to believe that such a man even existed. He did so much in so little time. Cyriac never lost hope, which is remarkable. In fact, there should be a film on him.
Rajan Varghese,
On email.
Restrict Modi
I completely agree with Mani Shankar Aiyar that Narendra Modi’s chutzpah is his nemesis (‘Last word’, July 7). Modi is behaving as if he has a full mandate from the people. That is not correct. He should be grounded and accommodative in this term. I feel sad for the parties that are supporting the BJP, especially the TDP and the JD(S). They are not able to assert themselves. They should ensure that Modi toes the line, or else withdraw support to the BJP.
Himanshu Bhargava,
On email.
From subsidies to crucial reforms, the BJP will now have to rethink its position on several key issues to accommodate the views of its allies. With state elections coming up, the top leadership of the BJP will have to address difficult questions. Modi 3.0’s position on many issues will become clear when it presents its first full budget later this month.
Krishnan Ramini,
On email.