Opinion - Letters to the Editor   

President's powers

The President of India may be a figurehead but he is certainly not so in the mould of the British monarch. He is elected indirectly by the people of India. Although his powers are limited by the Constitution, it vests in him the power to return a non-money bill for reconsideration. That the Janata Government in 1977 had its way in getting the acting President to sign the proclamation of President's Rule in nine States ("What are the Indian President's powers?" June 6) does not mean the President has subsequently become a puppet in the hands of the government of the day.

B. Mallikarjuna Rao,
Vijayawada, A.P.

* * *

While the limits of presidential powers hold true in most of the cases, the Office of Profit Bill is special, meriting a presidential intervention. The legislature passed a self-serving measure without any involved discussion. All constitutional functionaries are expected to safeguard the Constitution. When one arm of the government subverts it, there should be a check on it. The President has exercised a similar check provided for in the Constitution.

Ma Sivakumar,
Chennai

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