Role of the Legislative Council

Sir,

Your editorial Limited role, (DH Jan 10) commenting on the Legislative Council’s lack of power and authority displayed a less than nodding acquaintance with the Constitution and an unwarranted declaration that the Council is dormant when the Assembly is dissolved.

The statement that the Council has no independent powers is completely off the mark as its various committees have as much power as Assembly’s committees do. I would like to inform that Home Minister Shivraj Patil was not at all “cold” when we met him. On the contrary, he suggested that there was no bar on continuing with the exclusive  Council committees on the basis of the existing rule.

We have suggested that a session of the Council may be a necessity to fulfil the mandate under Article 174(1) of the Constitution and the Home Minister in clearest of terms agreed with us. Is it difficult to conduct a session to make constructive suggestions to the Governor’s cabinet on the on-going budget proposals?

The old mindset that a legislature session cannot be conceived without competitive wrangling needs to be questioned.

B K CHANDRASHEKAR
Chairman, Legislative
Council, Bangalore

Unsuitable choice

Sir,

It would be a joke to ask for the conferment of the prestigious Bharat Ratna award on Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who as the Prime Minister looked the other way when his own countrymen were being killed by mindless mobs in Gujarat. It resulted in one of the worst genocides wherein thousands of innocents lost their lives. This single episode blackened Vajpayee’s face and weakened the secular unity of the nation beyond comprehension.

L KRISHNA RAJESH
Bangalore

Set an example

Sir,

LK Advani writing to the Prime Minister and requesting for a Bharat Ratna to be given to Atal Bihari Vajpayee has put the government and the Congress party in a catch-22 situation.

While awarding a Bharat Ratna, the concerned person’s public as well as personal life should be under the scanner. His life and achievements should inspire and be an example to everybody.

K Venkataraman
Mumbai

KRV protests

Sir,

It is a sad reflection on our State politicians, especially members of Parliament that the subject of poor representation for Kannadigas in the Railways had to be taken up by the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KRV).

Currently there are hardly any Kannadigas as employees in the South Western Railways. Unless such anomalies are removed, they would lead to organisations like KRV, which may further lead to formation of   regional political parties. State and Central governments should take immediate steps to ensure that Kannadigas get fair representation as per the recommendations of the Mahishi Committee report.

H K Seshadri
Bangalore

Wrong methods

Sir,

Stopping of rails and attacking the offices cannot be the right way of agitation for any cause. Recruitment to central government institutions is based on certain policies framed by the Central government.

If these policies are found to be wrong they can be challenged in the court of law. It can also be redressed by raising the issues on the appropriate forums through the elected representatives. Karnataka has 28 elected MPs who are supposed to take up such issues in the Parliament and with the concerned ministry with proper facts and figures for redress.

M K Visweswara
Bangalore