The duration of campaigning for various elections must be restricted to the bare minimum. The number of rallies and road shows start much before the elections. This leads to huge wastage of money and time. Money plays a crucial role in elections. This money comes from sources and donors are obliged later on. Also, the winners fill their coffers after the elections. Further, the Prime Minister and other Central ministers should not go for campaigning in state Assembly elections. The PM represents the whole country and gets paid from public money. Why should he leave the primary duties of his office and waste valuable time? Election reforms are a must.

Jaswant singh, Chandigarh

Post-election violence

The reports of post-poll killings and clashes between TMC workers and those of the BJP and other political parties in West Bengal are not only disturbing, but also are against the spirit of free and fair elections. There must not be any place for violence against those who dared contest the elections against the TMC candidates. If Mamata Banerjee wants to make good her image beyond state politics, she must give a firm signal that any violence will not be tolerated, because whosoever is injured or killed, irrespective of his/her support to any party during the election, is the son/daughter of Bengal and any property damaged belongs to a Bengali. When a party wins with a thumping majority, its leaders and cadre must show humility instead of indulging in violence. Our judiciary and other constitutional institutions should take cognisance of such violence in any state, and hold the CM responsible for it.

PC Joshi, Chandigarh

Humbling for BJP

Bengal’s electoral battle has ended with the Trinamool Congress’ win against the BJP. Now, the biggest task is to handle the Covid situation. The violence after the win is signalling a disturbing situation in Kolkata. The two-time CM, despite losing her seat, successfully led her party to a clear mandate. India needed a strong Opposition and it was time to break the overconfidence of the BJP. It will definitely be a lesson to the party and the people.

Aman Jaiswal, New Delhi

Don’t put off NEET-PG

The Centre must review its decision to postpone NEET-PG exam as it will generate mental stress among aspirants and their parents. The entrance test should be conducted without any further delay and the government can avail of their services even after their admissions to PG courses. Instead of such temporary measures to strengthen Covid services, our governments need to strengthen the healthcare delivery system on a permanent basis.

Surinder Singla, Sangrur

National curfew

Various state governments are imposing weekend lockdowns apart from night curfew to prevent the spread of Covid. It is a temporary measure. In order to tackle the grim situation, stringent measures are needed otherwise the situation will go out of control in the very near future. The Central government should impose a curfew on the entire country for a specific period. All should be well intimated in advance so that the people may make the necessary arrangements beforehand.

SOHAN LAL BHUMBAK, CHANDIGARH

Irresponsible celebrities

The Punjab Police have done a commendable job by arresting celebrities caught shooting amid the pandemic. This shows how irresponsible celebrities are towards society, especially when the state is under a near-lockdown. Earlier, there were politicians holding rallies across the state with impunity, and now, we have artistes shooting for films. Everyone must realise that the pandemic spares no one. Many celebrities have died prematurely due to Covid-19.

Vikramjit Singh, Amritsar

IPL suspended

The Indian Premier League (IPL) should not have been conducted in the first place amid the raging second wave of the pandemic. The BCCI, which had allowed it only for the sake of money, has now decided to suspend it for the time being. It has finally dawned on the BCCI that it does not want to risk the safety of the players, support staff and those involved in organising the cash-rich cricket league. The board should have taken pre-emptive action last month by postponing the tournament. Some of the top cricket stadiums should have been turned into makeshift Covid care centres.

Bidyut Chatterjee, Faridabad

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