MyVoice: Views of our readers 4th November 2022

Praise Patel, but don't run down Nehru

It has become a fashion and addiction to Bharatiya Janata Party to glorify Congress party's great leader and former Home Minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel now and then and ridicule Jawaharlal Nehru. If Patel was the first PM, there would not have been many problems in India is the latest eulogisation on his 147th birth anniversary. It is not beyond the fact that there were certain differences between these two great stalwarts on a few issues, but they were always in union and never admitted their divergent opinions openly and both led the nation towards development. BJP is free to applaud Patel to any high-flown level but denigrating Nehru is nauseating.

Dr NSR Murthy, Secunderabad

Governors are crossing the line

The Congress has agreed to sign the memorandum urging the Centre to recall Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi, while other opposition parties are yet to make their stand clear. The Governors who abide by their Constitutional role are now an extinct species. Each one appointed since 2014 has been a disgrace and has danced to the tune of the big two even before that tune has even been played. If he is expressing views to please the BJP leadership to get a higher position for himself, he should quit the post.

C Krishnan Ramanisubbu, Chennai

Voters' addiction to freebies

As reports are emerging brusque polling is on in Munugodu byelection; murky and despicable incidents of intimidation and gratis to the electorate have been enacted by all concerned as expectations are growing on part of voters who want to vote to the highest bidder, in terms of handout. Some voters are demanding nothing less than 8 grams of gold per electorate, by contacting the political parties in fray telephonically that seems to be mammoth arm-twisting by certain sections of voters in a complete reversal of roles, as a matter of right.

K R Parvathy, Mysuru

An exemplary journalist

A synonym of simplicity, it is sad the veteran journalist G S Varadachari is no more. I happened to know him through my father D Sitaram who was his contemporary. But both were miles apart. If my was father aggressive, Varadachari was just the opposite besides being pragmatic and endowed with utmost patience. When he was in Telugu University in the journalism department, he used to be keen that the students get the best and most experienced staff even if they had to be as visiting lecturers. He will be missed by Telangana in particular and both the Telugu States besides national media too. May his soul rest in peace!

D Nagarjuna, Hyderabad

Will Gehlot go the Azad way?

Whenever PM Modi showers praise on some opposition leader, it sends jitters in the party concerned. Earlier he shed affectionate tears when Gulam Nabi Azad's tenure came to an end the upper house. Soon he severed his age-old association with Congress party and formed his own party though there were rumours of his joining BJP. Congress leader Sachin Pilot flagged the issue when PM Modi heaped praise on Rajasthan CM Gehlot at a meeting attended by both the leaders. Pilot apprehended that the same story may repeat yet again and Gehlot could jump the wagon. Recently, Gehlot had to apologize to Sonia Gandhi for the mini revolt of his colleagues in his favour against the high command.

Vinay Bhushan Bhagwaty

The decline of Aam Aadmi Party

For a party that rose like a phoenix from the ashes of a massive anti-corruption campaign, the AAP's degeneration into the cesspool of ill-gotten wealth has been total. The party, which is already embroiled in a spate of corruption cases, is now trying to shake off allegations of funnelling black money into poll-bound Gujarat through the hawala route. What seemed like a simple case of theft of Rs 20 lakh from the locked car of AAP candidate in south Gujarat's Bardoli seat Rajendra Solanki ended up opening a can of worms. Perhaps to divert attention from the black money dirt, Kejriwal sought to change media headlines by proposing to add images of Hindu deities on bank notes. That was another jumla.

N Sadhasiva Reddy, Bengaluru

Vaccinate domestic pets

Unvaccinated dogs are a major source of human disease transmission, including rabies, parvovirus, para influenza, Giardia, lyme disease, hepatitis, distemper, bordetella, kennel cough, and leptospirosis. Making canine vaccinations essential is a good idea, but it's also pivotal to understand how tamed tykes are affected by these shots. One has to look out for any of the signs that beget concern and take tamed canine to the veterinary for consultation.

VijayKumar H K, Raichur

High Court lashes out at BBMP, orders NHAI to review work quality

Bengaluru: The High Court, which has again questioned the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) performance in closing the potholes in Bengaluru city, has ordered the National Highway Development Authority (NHAI) to review the quality of the work and submit a report.

A division bench headed by Chief Justice PB Varale, which heard a public interest petition filed by Vijay Menon of Koramangala and others regarding the closure of potholes in Bangalore city, expressed strong displeasure against the BBMP. The court opined that the BBMP has completely failed in closing the potholes and stated that the corporation's process of closing potholes in the city is like undergoing cosmetic surgery to enhance beauty. BBMP officials are awarding contracts to some private firms through e-procurement for closing potholes. However, BBMP officials are certifying and approving the closure of those potholes. However, there is no third party or independent body to certify the quality of the contractor's work. Hence, the bench said that potholes are re-appearing.

Outrage over 'footwear stand reservation' tender in temple

Bengaluru: There is outrage over the state government's tender announcement regarding the various sections of the temples that come under the religious endowment department.

The announcement of the auction issued by the Basavanagudi Sri Dodda Ganapati and several other temples has now gone viral everywhere and has caused public and social media outrage. In the auction announcement, tenders have been invited for various works related to the sale of worship materials, sale of tender coconut water, tender for the right to keep footwear and collection of parking toll. A major reason for public outrage was that tenders for general categories were invited for all other categories and tenders for the footwear stand stall were awarded to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.