Steep price

Sir — The Bharatiya Janata Party’s affinity to statues is quite costly. The Statue of Equality, built for the 1,000th birth anniversary of the Bhakti saint, Sri Ramanujacharya, allegedly cost close to Rs 1,000 crore, primarily raised through donations. The Statue of Unity cost the taxpayer about Rs 3,000 crore while the statue of Rama in Ayodhya will cost some Rs 2,500 crore. These enormous sums could have been utilized for the well-being of citizens by funding welfare schemes. It is astonishing that the government prioritizes vanity over the immediate needs of the people.

Supreet Singh,

Delhi

Lost count

Sir — Last year, the Union home ministry announced in the Lok Sabha that the 2021 census has been indefinitely delayed owing to the Covid-19 pandemic. The census has been conducted uninterrupted since it began in 1881 under the British. The decennial exercise is crucial as it affects public policy; any delay will result in difficulties for the common people. Over 10 crore people have been excluded from the public distribution system because of outdated census data, and the crisis is particularly acute in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. The government must conduct the census as soon as possible and address these gaps.

Vishal Patidar,

Ujjain

Imminent change

Sir — It seems that the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections will be a closely fought one. With the growing influence of the Samajwadi Party and the Congress at the grass-root level — the Bharatiya Janata Party lost its footing among farmers when it tried to forcibly implement the three contentious farm laws — the BJP cannot expect an easy win in the state. The poll results in Uttar Pradesh will set the tone for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The BJP should take note of the changing tide.

Bhagwan Thadani,

Mumbai

Sir — While the people of Uttar Pradesh may be dissatisfied with the way the Yogi Adityanath government has been functioning, the BJP’s hold on the state is still solid. Communal and caste-based divisions are not easy to heal, especially during times of crisis. The people of Uttar Pradesh will likely prioritize ascriptive identities and community ties while voting.

Usha Pal,

Calcutta

Another blow

Sir — A single-judge bench of the Kerala High Court has upheld the Union government’s decision to bar the Malayalam news channel, Media One, from broadcasting, citing “national security” (“Vedic wisdom helps seal fate of news channel”, Feb 9). Neither the Centre nor the court provided the news channel with a clear explanation for the ban. The government should inform Media One of the reason behind its decision.

K. Nehru Patnaik,

Visakhapatnam

On the wane

Sir — It is shameful that a public interest litigation has been filed against the governor of West Bengal, Jagdeep Dhankhar, in the Calcutta High Court, seeking his removal for acting as a mouthpiece of the BJP. Dhankhar has repeatedly exceeded the scope of gubernatorial decorum. It does not bode well for democracy when people lose faith in an office-holder of such stature.

Arun Gupta,

Calcutta

Parting shot

Sir — The pandemic has been especially harsh on senior citizens, with many struggling to make ends meet. The goods and services tax rate on health insurance is sky-high at 18 per cent and must be reduced. Furthermore, interest rates on bank deposits are meagre. The government must raise the interest rates for senior citizens and provide essential commodities, especially medicines, at a subsidized rate.

K.L. Rao,

Gurgaon