M A I L B A G

PM must sack Buta Singh if he doesn’t quit

This has reference to the editorial “Buta Singh must go” (Oct 8). Surprisingly, despite the Supreme Court ruling quashing the dissolution of the Bihar Assembly as “unconstitutional”, Congress spokespersons Ambika Soni and Anand Sharma sought to dilute the issue by maintaining that they were waiting for the detailed order of the ruling. The Prime Minister must sack Governor Buta Singh if he doesn’t quit on his own.

As the dissolution of the Assembly was null and void, annulment of the elections and revival of the dissolved Assembly could have been justified. Judgements of this kind would have served the purpose if they help prevent such constitutional monstrosities heaped on the nation time and again by pliable and partisan Governors.

Lt-Col BACHITTAR SINGH (retd) Mohali

II

By all accounts, Buta Singh had been working on the Centre’s brief to ensure that only an RJD-led government was installed in Bihar. Otherwise, the Assembly would have been dissolved much earlier. Allowing Mr Nitish Kumar to hold the office of Chief Minister meant earning the wrath of Mr Lalu Prasad Yadav, which in turn would have led to the fall of the UPA government at the Centre.

Maj NARINDER SINGH JALLO (retd), Mohali

III

Stalwarts like K.M. Munshi, Aruna Asaf Ali and Sarojini Naidu added prestige and grace to the office of Governor while those like K.K. Shah, Ram Lal and G.D. Tapase dabbled in politics. During the parliamentary debates, Nehru often urged Governors to play a just and fair role, but it is not to be any more.

The Administrative Reforms Commission’s view that the Governor’s post is treated as a consolation prize for burnt-out politicians is true even today. There is no dearth of honest, competent and non-partisan persons committed to democratic and constitutional values to occupy this high office. Let no other Buta Singh play havoc with the state machinery.

Prof SUDARSHAN DHINGRA, Abohar

IV

The Supreme Court’s ruling on Bihar is, no doubt, a landmark judgement. It is a victory of constitutionalism. President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam shared his anguish with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who, in turn, owned moral responsibility for the decision to dissolve the state Assembly.

However, who will pay the price for the unconstitutional dissolution of the Assembly? No doubt, the people who are forced to bear the huge burden of facing yet another election in eight months.

T.N. SHARMA, Nangal Township (Ropar)

V

In Bihar’s infamous case, three persons are mainly responsible. The first is Governor Buta Singh. The second is the Centre (the Prime Minister and the Railway Minister included). And the third is the President of India.

The President should have returned the Union Cabinet’s recommendation (from his Moscow camp office) particularly because the JD (U) leader, Mr Nitish Kumar, had paraded 135 MLAs before him to prove his majority in the dissolved Assembly. The editorial “Buta Singh must go” (Oct 8) misses this point.

ANAND PRAKASH, Panchkula

VI

It is a disgrace that Mr Buta Singh is being allowed to continue as the Bihar Governor despite the Supreme Court’s historic verdict. Do we really need such Governors? Why can’t Buta Singh be recalled forthwith?

I appeal to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to be bold and courageous and recall him. He should not defend a person who is proving to be a liability for him and the Centre. He is a black spot on the face of the Indian democracy.

MULTAN SINGH PARIHAR, Jalari-Hamirpur

VII

The Supreme Court ruling is confusing. It implies that though the diagnosis and prescription of surgery on the basis of that faulty and mala fide diagnosis by Governor Buta Singh was wrong, the surgery prescribed as such should go on. This is the point of confusion. If the diagnosis and prescription of surgery are wrong, how can the surgery based on such wrong diagnosis be justified?

The judgement should be reviewed. Criminal cases should be initiated against all the people who were involved in the attempt to kill the spirit of the Constitution in Bihar.

A.K. SHARMA, Chandigarh