Parent ‘company’ plays the honest broker
SIR, ~   This is with reference to the report, “RSS brokers ceasefire” (12 June). Narendra Modi has welcomed L K Advani&’s U-turn within 24 hours. The latter has agreed to withdraw his resignation from party posts on the “advice” of the RSS chief. “I will personally address whatever complaints Advaniji has,”  is the assurance given by the BJP president, Rajnath Singh. It appears that the RSS chief, Mohan Bhagwat, forced Mr Advani to withdraw his resignation.
There is little doubt that Mr Advani wanted to become the Prime Minister. That dream has been shattered with the anointment of  Mr. Modi as the party&’s election campaign chief. There may be hope yet for Mr Advani as the Gujarat Chief Minister is yet to be projected as the BJP&’s prime ministerial candidate. And this could have prompted him to withdraw his resignation.
Mr Advani is known for such theatrics.  It bears recall that he had resigned from the party posts in the wake of the controversy over his praise for Mohammed Ali Jinnah.
yours, etc., s s paul, chakdaha (nadia), 12 june.

Is BJP digging its own grave?
SIR, ~ Mr LK Advani&’s resignation from party posts, which has now been withdrawn, would have harmed the Bharatiya Janata Party, which in the aftermath of the Goa conclave seems to be digging its own grave, and ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.
  The octogenarian leader ought to have realised the damage his decision could cause to a party and the ideology that he has nurtured for a considerable period of his life. As an astute leader, he could well have sorted out the contentious issues through discussions.
  He ought also to have realised that nothing is permanent in this world, and it is a law of nature that the old gives place to the new. And a combination of young and  old leaders can benefit the party.
Narendra Modi is relatively young and can be trusted to preserve and protect the standing of the BJP in the political spectrum. Mr Advani will hopefully guide the party which, in the popular perception, can be an alternative to the thoroughly corrupt Congress.
yours, etc., s p sharma, mumbai, 11 june.

A Cong-BJP national govt
SIR, ~ My long-cherished desire is to see the Congress forming a national government in league with the BJP at the Centre. There is no major difference in the policies, programmes or even in the mode of functioning of the two parties. Both are nationalistic and democratic in their political philosophy.
 National integrity, international peace and cooperation, independence of the judiciary and , secularism are the guiding principles of both parties. To the Congress, secularism means dharma-nirapekshata and to the BJP it is a positive concept of sarba-dharma-sambhaba. Academic differences can be sorted out through discussions.
A strong, stable and responsible national government will be able to address both domestic and foreign policy issues, ensure progress and prosperity, and check horse-trading. There will be no need to appease any community for demographic dividend. Regional and caste-based parties will lose their clout, and this will minimise separatist tendencies.
Admittedly, a Congress-BJP national government will have to contend with certain inherent faultlines. But the system will definitely be better than the one that now exists. The people are tired of the Congress forming coalition governments with smaller parties with a very limited perspective.
yours, etc., ranjit kar, kolkata, 17 june.

Megalomania
SIR, ~ As an NRI living in the  UK, it was sad to see Mr LK Advani resigning from the party posts and in an emotionally-charged atmosphere. Instead of openly nurturing a desire to become the next Prime Minister, he ought to have handed over the reigns of power either to the younger Sushma Swaraj or Arun Jaitley after he turned 80. If he had done so, he could have avoided his predicament within the party.
  But politicians being politicians, they believe that they are indestructible and they often suffer from megalomania. But let me assure Mr Advani that the same reasons which defeated the BJP in the last two general elections will also inflict another defeat on the party under Narendra Modi in 2014.
yours, etc., m riaz hasan, middlesex (uk), 11 june.

Online RTI applications
SIR, ~ The decision of the Centre&’s Department of Personnel and Training to introduce online RTI applications and appeals is welcome. Citizens can now seek information and expose corruption at the click of a mouse. The facility ought to  be extended to the departments of the Delhi government, the courts, public sector undertakings, and the UPSC, CAG, CVC, CBI, CIC, etc.  In the matter of RTI applications, there should be no difference in procedure between the Centre and the states.
yours, etc., meera jhangiani, new delhi, 12 june