• With criminal-friendly laws and a legal system that favours the corrupt, there is no need to rejoice when an accused person is acquitted by a court on account of the lack of a ‘‘scintilla’’ of evidence. This holds true for the recent Delhi High Court verdict exonerating the late prime minister Rajiv Gandhi in the Bofors scandal. Though there is no proof that Rajiv Gandhi took Rs 64 crore as bribe — it is likely to have been destroyed — there is convincing proof that the Swedish company paid large amounts as bribe for clinching the gun deal to middlemen. The late Rajiv Gandhi, therefore, cannot be absolved of the blame for misguiding the people by denying this and the egregious cover-up operation by high-ups in his government. Rajiv Gandhi’s Cabinet Secretary, B.G. Deshmukh has also blamed him for the scandal in his autobiography. It is in the public interest to find out where the bribe money went and to punish the guilty. — K.G. Acharya Mumbai Rudy’s defence • Rudy was caught with his hand in the till and has managed to extricate himself without so much as saying sorry. The Indian Express should bring more such shameless characters to book through public exposure even if it cannot guarantee punishment to the guilty. This is an example of ‘‘Shining India’’. The BJP president doesn’t find fault with the minister but blames the “system”. Five years was not enough, we agree, to change the system but at least the BJP could have held its own ministers in check. It has become a sorry pattern. The PM, who is himself an arguably clean politician, also stoops low when he defends the advertising campaign by PSUs on the eve of election notification. Again, blame the system. — Sasidharan S. Menon Mumbai Sonia must wait • This refers to your report ‘PM day-dreaming, no one feeling good: Sonia’ (IE, February 11). I am surprised to read what the Congress president has to say. How can she say nobody is feeling good? Corruption, poverty, illiteracy, unemployment have been rampant for the last 50 years during the rule of the Congress. There is no magic wand with the NDA to eradicate such evils from society. She should wait another 5 years before saying anything. — Koti Reddy On e-mail Babus win • Apropos of ‘Kurien slams Joshi: This is meddling, dangerous’ (IE, February 12), it is very sad to see IIMs and IITs being turned into government run institutions, run by corrupt politicians and babus. The problem is that babus cannot tolerate any thing beyond their control and they manipulate their ministers and then voices like Narayan Murthy and Kurien will have no effect. God alone can save these institutes. — Kirti On e-mail Grow up • First Bofors, then Ayodhya, then Hindutva, then Sonia’s ‘foreign origins’, then ‘feel good’, then Rahul and Priyanka. By raking up non-issues, the political parties are taking the Indian people for a ride and treating them like kids. Grow up, Indian voter! — Anu Chatrath Chandigarh
