Elusive glimpse
Sir — India is no stranger to VIP culture. From road closures to cultural programmes being stalled till the arrival of the guest of honour, instances of favouritism towards VIPs are common. However, it would be unrealistic to expect animals to provide such special treatment as members of the entourage of the prime minister, Narendra Modi, seem to believe. The hue and cry raised just because no tiger could be photographed by Modi at Bandipur seems excessive. Perhaps if tigers had been offered expansive habitats or regular availability of prey, they would have graced the prime minister with an appearance.
Salil Adhikary, Calcutta
United stand
Sir — The recent Delhi trip of the chief minister of Bihar, Nitish Kumar, has renewed optimism that the Opposition parties’ attempts to unite will come to fruition (“Drive for broadest unity”, April 13). Such efforts seemed to have been temporarily derailed after the comments made by the Nationalist Congress Party leader, Sharad Pawar, regarding his disagreements on the Adani saga. But Nitish Kumar’s meeting with the Congress president, Mallikarjun Kharge, and Rahul Gandhi seems to have gone a long way in resolving some of the differences in the Opposition camp.
Ahead of the assembly polls in Karnataka, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, it is imperative for the Opposition parties to present a united front on the multiple issues plaguing the public in order to tackle the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Abhijit Roy,Jamshedpur
Sir — It was encouraging to see the chief minister of Delhi, Arvind Kejriwal, lauding the efforts of his Bihar counterpart, Nitish Kumar, in bringing Opposition parties together. Extending his complete support to the cause, he termed the BJP government at the Centre the “most corrupt government” since Independence. Kejriwal’s assertion that it is necessary for all the Opposition parties to unite in order to challenge the current government at the Centre shows how the BJP has managed to antagonise almost every party across the political spectrum.
Bhagwan Thadani,Mumbai
At risk
Sir — Modern-day celebrities have challenging lives. They are constantly in the public eye and have to travel frequently and keep up with rigorous shooting schedules. It is thus unfortunate that Salman Khan is having to contend with repeated death threats from anti-social elements on top of his punishing schedule. Such targeted attacks should be condemned.
Kirti Wadhawan,Kanpur
Mysterious deaths
Sir — It was horrific to read about the four soldiers who were killed in an incident of firing inside the Bathinda military station in Punjab recently (“4 artillery unit jawans shot dead in Bathinda”, April 13). It is feared that a missing INSAS rifle has been used in the brutal killings. Although the authorities have ruled out a terrorist attack, loss of life due to negligence reveals the failure of military intelligence in tackling internal conflict in the armed forces. As the law and order situation in Punjab is already on a knife’s edge, the Centre must investigate the matter thoroughly.
Jayanta Datta,Hooghly
Fatal disregard
Sir — Dishearteningly, several political parties have been organising rallies defying health advisories that have been issued owing to the ongoing heatwave-like conditions in West Bengal (“Rally turnout belies heatwave alert”, April 13). Politicians usually have scant regard for public health. This was proven during the 2021 state assembly elections when huge political rallies were held flouting Covid restrictions.
Abhijit Chakraborty,Howrah
