MLAs defections: SC directions praiseworthy

The Supreme Court ordering the speaker of the Telangana Legislative Assembly to take decision on the ten MLAs who are facing charges of defection within three months is praiseworthy. The speaker has been taking time longer than it should be to decide the matter, subverting the spirit of the anti-defection law.

Though there is no mention of time limit in rule books for speakers to take a call on defections, the inordinate delay makes a mockery of well laid down democratic norms. It’s good that the apex court has set the record straight and hopefully the speaker will act per the court ruling.

Dr DVG Sankara Rao, Vizianagaram

Put a permanent stop to defections

The speakers of Parliament and that of the State legislative bodies have often been found undermining democratic values when it comes to defections by elected people’s representatives. Indian democracy has always been subverted by opportunistic politicians, who derive tacit support from speakers, who misuse their constitutional authority in taking decisions vis-à-vis the detectors. It is now for the Parliament to “listen” to the sentiments expressed by the Supreme Court in this regard and set the record straight.

But none of the political parties would want to close doors to their pursuit of power, by hook or crook. And for them ‘defection’ is the biggest weapon even if it means subverting democracy! The Supreme Court can’t order the speakers to take decisions within a stipulated time frame. It is for the Parliament to reconcile and bring in legislation to permanently settle the issue, so that the menace of defections is stopped once and for all.

Govardhana Myneedu, Vijayawada

Historic ruling by the Supreme Court

SC giving the Telangana Legislative Assembly speaker three months to decide on the defection of 10 BRS employees to Congress is a historical decision. However, it raises a crucial question: why not work out a robust constitutional provision to prevent defections altogether? In instances where MLAs switch loyalties after winning elections, a clear provision could mandate resignation from the incumbent party before joining another.

This would uphold democratic values and prevent the erosion of public trust. Notably, many political leaders, including K Chandrasekhar Rao, K T Rama Rao, and N Chandrababu Naidu have encouraged such defections, undermining the integrity of the electoral process. In this context, the Supreme Court’s role becomes pivotal in protecting democratic principles and ensuring accountability. A strong constitutional provision would help prevent future incidents and restore faith in the system. The judiciary’s proactive stance is crucial in upholding the nation’s democratic fabric.

Dr. Venkat Yadav Avula, MASS Hyderabad

Calling Trump’s tariff bluff

In an increasingly fractious world order, the U.S. fired another salvo in its trade war targeting India with a hefty tariff on exports effective from August 1, besides additional penalties for buying Russian oil and arms. This only goes to show that US President Donald Trump has been a vitriolic opportunity offender, who cannot be fully relied upon. However, India’s response to Trump’s provocations has been measured and non-combative by saying that India will protect the interests of its farmers and MSMEs. Apparently, Trump must understand that like earlier, India is not a soft state now with deep economic resilience, vast domestic absorption capacity, therefore, there can be no giving in to his pressure tactics.

Despite Trump describing closeness of India and Russia as “dead economies’, it is imperative that India refrain from reacting in a knee-jerk manner by keeping calm while trying to explore fast-track deals with the EU and other destinations more or less on the deals signed with the UK. India must adopt a cautious approach while at the same time remaining firm in its dealings that sends a strong message to Trump to agree to even terms in trade policy because his likes and dislikes of BRICS and global South is not going to help America in any manner in the long term both in trade and foreign policy matters with India.

K R Srinivasan, Secunderabad-3