MyVoice: Views of our readers 11th February 2021

A statesmanlike gesture

Salute to Prime Minister for first-ever salute at floor of the House (Rajya Sabha) by a Prime Minister to retiring leader of opposition when Narender Modi in his highly emotional farewell speech to Ghulam Nabi Azad recalled telephonic conversation with him when both these leaders were Chief Ministers of Gujarat and Jammu-Kashmir respectively, and Ghulam Nabi Azad at that time shared his emotions and anger with Narender Modi on the shocking incident.

Ghulam Nabi Azad also gave a fitting reply to his own party-colleagues when he mentioned that he was much happier to be a Hindustani Muslim rather than being a Pakistani citizen. It is noteworthy that Congress maintained an undue silence on comments of former Vice President and others who openly expressed that Muslims in India did not feel comfortable.

Such respect for opposition leader was seen only in era of PV Narsimha Rao as Prime Minister when he trusted the then opposition leader Atal Bihari Vajpayee for leading Indian delegation at a crucial special session of the United Nations Human Rights Commission (UNHRC) in Geneva where a Pakistan-sponsored resolution was there to censure India on its record of human rights in Jammu and Kashmir.

However political repercussions of emotional exchange between Narender Modi and Gulam Nabi Azad as seen by some political analysists are noteworthy in tune with comment of Ramdas Athawale that ruling alliance was ready to bring Azad back in Rajya Sabha.

Subhash Chandra Agrawal, Delhi

II

Prime Minister Sri Narendra Modi honoured co parliamentarian and leader of opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad in the upper house. He is great parliamentarian and also good administrator. PM praised his qualities and also his dedicated work.

He has talked and highlighted public issues in the house. He has raised current topics in zero hour in the house. He is a good and disciplinary parliamentarian in India. He served as a Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir and central minister.

K Ranga Rao, Danvaigudem, Khammam

III

The last Rajya Sabha day of Ghulam Nabi Azad, the leader of Opposition, has been an immensely eventful one, even making the PM Modi teary-eyed over his exit.

By expressing that he is proud of being a Hindustani Muslim, Azad has made not only the whole Muslim community in the country but also each and every Indian proud in every sense.

It's a pleasant shock that he has never been to Pakistan. Azad is indeed a great example of true love towards, and of strong patriotism for our country. His decades-old representation is history. A true gem of a leader, indeed.

E Sethuramalingam, Kollam

IV

The tearful farewell gesture of PM Modi and Leader of Opposition Gulam Nabi Azad in Rajya Sabha is indeed a good gesture and in the process the politician Modi has indeed managed to get the tear jerker scene the attention from the media across India.

While opposition leaders appreciated bonhomie between Modi and Azad, they also wanted to know from the PM, why there are no tears for farmers who have died while participating in agitation at the Delhi border.

However, for ordinary people like us nowadays whether they go to the petrol bunk or market, they come back in tears with empty purses. Neither ruling or opposition party leaders shed any tears for them. It's tear jerker for them every day.

N Nagarajan, Hyderabad

V

The Leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha Gulam Nabi Azad was given a touching farewell. He is a soft-spoken and handsome leader who criticized the government on various occasions but without rancor or grudge.

The PM Modi had shown his softer side when he became quite emotional speaking about Azad. If the praise is from his heart, it is indeed praiseworthy of PM. Otherwise, he is to be acclaimed for his stellar performance. No doubt, Azad was wowed, but he appears to be being wooed too.

Is Modi going to give a lift to Azad to give a snub to congress? Of late, the relations between Azad and his party are strained. Otherwise, he would have been accommodated for another term. He is a sauve and sophisticated politician who maintained good equation with all political colleagues.

He stole the thunder when he said he is a Hindustani Muslim. It is a unique achievement that he received more praise from opposition than from his own, notwithstanding the political motives.

Vinay Bhushan B, Hyderabad

Sharmila and TS politics

Recently Sharmila of YSRCP party has announced her intention of setting up of a party in Telangana to restore "Rajanna Rajyam (YSR's rule). This has raised many eye brows in Telangana when assembly elections are few years away.

What is more surprising is the timing of new political party when there is actually no political vacuum in the state.

It is a known fact that KCR's image has taken a dent vis-a-vis TRS party's debacle in Dubbaka and GHMC elections and that Telangana sentiment no longer works for KCR.

Anti-incumbency factor is also bound to work against TRS in the coming elections. It is also quite evident that BJP has emerged as a viable alternative for TRS party. There is no chance of revival of Congress party in near future and TDP has already been decimated in Telangana.

So it may be the master strategy of KCR to split anti-KCR's votes / opposition votes through Sharmila and at the same time gain the sympathy of Andhra settlers in Telangana and cut BJP's growth to its size in state politics, Sharmila has been thrusted into state politics, by using his good rapport with Jagan.

There are some speculations Sharmila may even take 'Padayatra' to gain vote bank after setting up new party.

V Nagendra Kumar, Hyderabad

Benami party?

Late Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy had strongly opposed bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, while Telangana state was formed mainly on anti-Andhra sentiment and one wonders how YSR's daughter Sharmila will succeed by launching a new party in the State.

It is clear that new party is being floated to help other parties rather than it coming to power in the state. Therefore, Sharmila's proposed party can be termed as a benami political party.

Kshirasagara Balaji Rao, Hyderabad

Tough assignment

Sharmila who is active in politics took the responsibility of her brother's party when he was unavailable for the public now wants to launch a political party in Telangana. So, time has to tell whether she would be treated as outsider or not.

Before that her entry into Telangana politics may rise tension between two states in respect of river water sharing. Her proposed political dispensation would like to depend on legacy of her late father and settlers in Hyderabad and Nizamabad.

However her new political entity has stirred a political hornet's nest in TS with its political parties accusing each other as she seems to be brought into politics for political polarisation.

But she should not forget the AP interests with the launching of political party as she took walktahon in both the States in absence of her brother.

Pratapa Reddy Yaramala, Tiruvuru