Hefty flight
Sir — An analogy about pigs having wings is often used to express disbelief in something bizarre. What can be equally bizarre is the claim that hippopotamuses can fly. But according to researchers at the Royal Veterinary College in Britain, when these hefty herbivores reach top speed, they take off from the ground. The finding plugs a gap in scientific knowledge and places hippos between elephants and rhinos in terms of the athletic prowess. This just goes to show that size and athleticism are not correlated. Those who are often fat-shamed — like hippos — might well be fit enough to fly.
Adrija Shome, Calcutta
Unhappy murmurs
Sir — The rumblings within the Bharatiya Janata Party in Uttar Pradesh have not been prompted merely by the party’s below par performance in the state. The real reason for the schisms in the saffron party’s Uttar Pradesh unit is the clash of ambitions between the Union home minister, Amit Shah, and the chief minister, Yogi Adityanath (“Boomerang on Bulldozer Baba”, July 18). Adityanath attributed the party’s worst performance since 2014 to overconfidence, whereas a faction egged on by the BJP’s central leadership has pinned the blame on him. The chief minister’s use of bulldozers to mete out summary justice does seem to have angered people. The political winds appear to be blowing in favour of INDIA.
G. David Milton, Maruthancode, Tamil Nadu
Sir — Yogi Adityanath’s reign in Uttar Pradesh has been marked by anti-people policies. This is the reason why the BJP took a beating in the Lok Sabha polls. The ongoing tussle against Adityanath in the BJP will test Narendra Modi’s skills.
Jayanta Datta, Hooghly
Sir — Following a lacklustre performance in the recent general elections, the BJP in Uttar Pradesh has been plagued by internal conflicts regarding leadership roles. Infamous for his reckless use of bulldozers, Yogi Adityanath’s political future seems uncertain. His polarising ploys proved to be counterproductive. Adityanath and his associates were blinded by their hubris, believing themselves to be invincible. It remains to be seen whether the party will unite to overcome this crisis or let the Opposition capitalise on its internal discord.
Aayman Anwar Ali, Calcutta
Bad idea
Sir — It is astonishing that a replica of the Kedarnath temple is being planned in Delhi. Swami Avimukteshwaranand of Jyotirmath has vehemently opposed the construction of a second Kedarnath temple. The Bharatiya Janata Party government is playing fast and loose with religious sentiments. Uttarakhand, where the original Kedarnath temple is situated, gets lakhs of pilgrims each year because of the temple. If there is a replica in Delhi, people will lose interest in the original and miss out on the scenic beauty of Uttarakhand.
Avimukteshwaranand has also alleged that 228 kilogramme of gold has been siphoned off from the Kedarnath temple. Is that why there is talk of building another temple to divert attention from this? The BJP’s deafening silence on the matter is unlike its vehemence over the ratna bhandar of the Puri Jagannath temple.
A.K. Chakraborty, Guwahati
Correction
In the report titled “Rajeev Kumar back as Bengal DGP” published on July 16, The Telegraph had referred to a slew of alleged charges that the CBI had pressed against him during his stint as Calcutta’s police commissioner.
Our report was based on an order passed by a Division Bench of the Hon’ble Calcutta High Court on October 1, 2019, in Kumar’s anticipatory bail plea (C.R.M. No. 9230 of 2019).
The Telegraph report mentioned “corruption” among the charges, which is a mistake. We regret the error.