MyVoice: Views of our readers 25th January 2023

Diggy Raja leaves his party red-faced

Rahul Gandhi has rightly distanced himself and his party from the uncalled-for remarks of Diggy Raja on surgical strikes. It is not right on the part of veteran Congressman to cast doubts on Pathankot incident and successful cross-border surgical strikes carried by our Armed forces to destroy terrorist camps on Pakistan soil. Asking the Army or the government for proofs of military's heroic acts would be nothing but belittling their integrity. Rahul Gandhi's explanation in this regard is welcome, but if he can make Diggy Raja apologise for the remarks, it would be better.

Dr DVG Sankararao, Vizianagaram

Modi govt's double standards come to fore

The government says the BBC documentary is a propaganda piece designed to push a particular discredited narratives and continues Colonial mindset. It may be absolutely right that the documentary has shown an ugly realty of the country. But why is it afraid of the documentary and why ban it on YouTube and Twitter? Let the public see the documentary and decide whether the government is correct or what shown in the documentary is correct. On the other side, the government gives support to vulgar and propaganda films like Kashmir Files. Now it is also silent on the film 'Gandhi- Godse- ek yudh.' There is a problem when BBC has made a documentary on Modi but the government doesn't feel any problem when the image of Mahatma Gandhi is being tarnished. Why these double standards?.

Zeeshaan, Kazipet

This ban on BBC documentary deserves criticism from both the angles. Let us first take the ban from the BJP perspective. What is the need for banning the docu when NDA has been elected twice with comfortable majority in 2014 and 2019 and the riots took place in 2002.? People knew pretty well about the riots and yet they voted Modi for two consecutive terms with an ascending majority. Unnecessarily, by banning, they are advertising something that in the normal course would have fizzled out. Now coming from opposition's angle, a good number of voters were born after the riots if you take the segment of 20-22 years youth. Even assuming the ban is lifted, what impact would it have? Amplifying the issue will neither reduce the vote bank of BJP nor will it increase the same for opposing parties.

D Nagarjuna, Hyderabad

Apropos editorial "Faux pas? Cong backs BBC broadside on PM" (24 Jan). Congress faux pas apart, the government also has faux-passed by blocking the documentary that too when the world believes that unlike in China freedom of expression is much more vibrant and strong in India. Instead of blocking it, the government ought to have countered the BBC canard against the PM. The ban has only raised curiosity among the voters who were not even born in 2002 when during Gujarat riots when PM was CM of Gujarat. By the way in 2004 censor board then stalled release of documentary Final Call directed by Rakesh Sharma fearing clashes and nothing happened when it was released in December 2004 and even now this documentary is available freely but no one is keen to watch.

N Nagarajan, Hyderabad

As the colonial rulers' divide-and-rule policy clearly reflects in the BBC documentary, the editorial is correct in saying that the commentary is only an attempt to cast aspersions on authority and credibility of supreme court, at the same time sowing divisions among communities ostensibly to show India in poor light. The government swiftly issued directions to YouTube and Twitter to take down the offensive content and videos that shared the links by invoking the emergency powers under the IT rules, 2021 - a step in the right direction. The controversial documentary making unsubstantiated allegations is only to malign Modi is a disgrace on the part of BBC to stoop too low for the sake of publicity.

K R Srinivasan, Secunderabad

Apropos of editorial 'Faux pas? Congress backs BBC broadside on PM.' The Bharat Jodo initiative by Rahul Gandhi proved nothing more than an escapist means on his part to run away from realities and disenchantment that the Congress has been facing. The sycophants of the party claim the yatra to be a mammoth success as it is attracting a massive gathering of people. Interestingly the pitch and momentum for select foreign broadcasting companies and watch dogs grew in the wake of record-breaking electoral victory in the recently held assembly elections in Gujarat. And the fact that India overtook the UK as the first economic power in the world irks the latter even more.

K R Parvathy, Mysuru