MyVoice: Views of our readers 11th January 2021

YSRCP opposes civic body polls for fear of defeat

Under the pretext of Covid-19 conditions, the YSRCP government is trying to get the local body elections delayed, to escape public rebuke and wrath and humiliating defeat in the local polls. When there was no problem for polls in Telangana, Bihar and other States even under the pandemic conditions, the contention of YSRCP is all sham.

Even in the US, where the virus is rampant, presidential polls have been held with much buoyance. When the YSRCP is ready to open schools and colleges despite the spread of Covid-19, there is no saneness in impeding the proposed polls.

Pouncing on Chandrababu Naidu or the TDP in this regard by any party reminds me of the axiom, 'the bad workman always blames the tools...' What goes around comes around is true. Whatever YSRCP has done, they will backlash for sure.

K Sai Prasanna Tagore, Tadepalligudem, AP

Repay excess fees paid by students

All the students who have applied for counselling have paid the college fee after the 1st phase of seat allotment and then many have given their consent by going for 2nd phase seat allotment. So, when in the 1st phase they paid the college fee of Rs 45,000 and when they got some other college, they paid college fee of Rs 30,000.

Now the government has to return the amount which the student has paid in excess after allotment of seat in the 2nd phase. It has been two months the 1st year students joined the college and have been undergoing online classes. But till now the amount is not transferred to the students' account.

When the student exceeds the date of paying the fee then there would be fine to be paid by the student. But what about the government? Why the government is not paying the fine or interest to the student? Rs 15,000 is very huge amount for the middleclass people. So, the government should refund these amounts to the accounts of students.

Rathna Manoj Kumar, Chennur, Telangana

Capitol Hill attack a shame on Trump

The horrible incident of the attack on the Capitol Hill last week in Washington by supporters of incumbent President has left the world stunned beyond words. The process of the election of President of the United States involves many stages. The candidate who gets 270 electoral college or more wins the US Presidential election. Joe Biden got 306 electoral college votes as against 232 electoral college votes polled for the incumbent President.

Also, Joe Biden got more than 70 million popular votes as against more than 66 million polled for the incumbent President. However, the incumbent President refused to concede the defeat and levelled charges of fraud against President elect Joe Biden. During the meeting of the joint session of the Congress held on January 7 2021 in Capitol Hill, chaired by the Vice President of the USA to confirm the result, fanatic supporters of the incumbent President attacked the Capitol Hill Building (Parliament building of the USA), entered into the building, created mayhem, resulting in suspension of the meeting for six hours and in the violence outside, four people lost their lives and curfew was imposed.

The whole problem arose as a consequence of the incumbent President refusing to concede the win by his rival and also levelling charges of poll fraud. The courts in the USA dismissed the allegations of irregularities in the election process. The Vice President Mike Pence confirmed the win of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris for the Post of President and Vice President, in spite of the instruction of the incumbent President to do the opposite.

The essence of democracy is the periodic conduct of elections by an independent body and the smooth transition of power to the newly elected body. It is a civilized way of choosing representatives by the people (which is the antithesis of violent capture of seats of power).

In case the defeated candidate has grievances of poll irregularities/fraud, he/she can approach the courts, instead of inciting people and attacking institutions and refusing to vacate the office. The loser should show grace in defeat and accept the verdict of the people. Or else, the conduct of elections to any post would become meaningless.

K Ahmed, Santoshnagar, Hyderabad