An obiter dictum from the Supreme Court

Sir,

The apex court’s angry remarks over the imposition of President's rule has raised a ruckus in Tamil Nadu. These remarks should be regarded as obiter dicta, since the Supreme Court cannot direct the central government to impose President's rule under Article 356 of the Constitution.

It is the prerogative of the President acting on the advice of of the cabinet to do so. For this also to happen the Governor of the State has to recommend President's rule.The apex court is certainly within its right to declare that strikes and bundhs are illegal,  besides  declare them unconstitutional.

The Sethusamudram project as such should not be allowed to be constructed at any cost, if not for anything else, at least to send a message to M Karunanidhi and those who have been supporting him directly or indirectly, that foul-mouthing and passing irresponsible, indecent and irreverent remarks on sensitive issues, would not be tolerated and, could have adverse repercussions.

Jayaprakash
Mysore

Wrong standards

Sir,

It is a disgrace that a former Prime Minister of our country is playing petty politics to ensure his son’s stint as the Chief Minister. H D Deve Gowda’s treacherous action is nullifying all the good work done by his son.

H D Kumara Swamy has endeared himself to the villagers in Karnataka by spending nights in many poor households. Even now, it is not too late for Deve Gowda to change his course, and allow B S Yediyurappa to become the Chief Minister. If he does not do so, he would only be setting wrong standards in public life.

H K Seshadri
Bangalore

Dismiss govt

Sir,

The way Karnataka has witnessed its turn-coat politicians of various hues behave, having nothing but their own words to eat for their break fast, lunch and dinner, makes for a sad and sickening contempt for the political class as a whole.

The Gowda family takes the cake for it followed not far away from the other main political parties who are all treating the state as their own fiefdom.

The present government should be immediately dismissed and the Governor should act as a midwife to bring in President's rule for a while prior to general elections.

B R R Rao
Bangalore

Thrishanku Swarga

Sir,

The state BJP unit had taken a backseat while running the government and they have behaved well in letting the JD(S) work in harmony. In spite of knowing the wild ambitions of H D Deve Gowda, the BJP entered into a messy deal with the JD(S).

The statements and tactics of Mr Gowda, H D Kumaraswamy and other JD(S) leaders have always been a source of embarrassment for the BJP. The people of Karnataka are divided due to double deals from these parties and are living in a paradise called Thrishanku Swarga.

G S Prakash
Bangalore

Gujarat riots

Sir,

If in the opinion of the presiding Supreme Court judge, non-plying of buses and closure of shops in Tamil Nadu amounted to a “complete breakdown of constitutional machinery”, then the worst case was in 2002, during the Gujarat riots.

At that time there was mindless violence resulting in thousands of deaths bringing the state to a grinding halt for several days. Moreover the Gujarat government was hand in glove with the perpetrators and silently acquiesced to their acts.

Yet the Supreme Court did not deem it necessary then to recommend to the the dismissal of the State government to the President.

Vijai Anandakrishnan
Chennai