Opinion - Letters to the Editor   

President's powers

The President is elected by an electoral college consisting of people's representatives, which endows him with a representative character. If Parliament passes a bill that defeats the very provisions of the Constitution, such as the Office of Profit Bill, what choice does the President have except exercising the limited powers vested in him?

At least the move will create sufficient public opinion to forestall the actions of an insensitive, majoritarian Parliament. Constitutional provisions should not be read in isolation but should be understood in the overall context.

M.M. Kotian,
Bangalore

Politicians of all hues have, over a period, become apathetic towards the judiciary, the President, and the Election Commission. In order to achieve their selfish ends, they go to any extent to overrule the Election Commission's directions or the Supreme Court's rulings. They think nothing of changing the law. The saving grace comes once in a while, as it did when the President returned the Office of Profit Bill to Parliament.

Wg. Cdr. V.B. Purang,
Secunderabad

The office of profit weapon originally wielded to settle a single score has unexpectedly boomeranged and is likely to cause immense collateral damage on the rebound. The returning of the bill by the President has proved that the highest office cannot be used as rubber stamp in a dynamic democracy like ours. Signing of the Emergency proclamation in the proverbial bathtub or dissolution of State Assemblies at midnight only weakens democracy. Parliament should reconsider the issue dispassionately and drop the bill for the sake of democracy.

Air Cmde Raghubir Singh (retd.),
Pune

Coimbatore

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