Opinion - Letters to the Editor   

Law unto himself?

The MNS claim that Amitabh Bachchan’s apology for his wife’s remark is a victory for the Marathi people sounds hollow. If anything, it is a victory for hooliganism and should cause the Maharashtra government considerable embarrassment. The government’s claim that it has arrested a number of MNS activists is not enough to inspire confidence among the peace-loving people.

Does one’s preference for a language, that too the national language, imply an insult to another?

T.P. Raja,

Chennai

The law-abiding citizens of India are fed up with the antics of MNS against the Bachchans and other innocent citizens. Raj Thackeray seems to rule supreme over Maharashtra with his diehard followers. It is the State government that is to blame for this unfortunate scenario.

Capt. T. Raju (retd.),

Secunderabad

M.A. Mohamed Sahul Hameed,

Vellore

When celebrities make statements, they should do so after duly weighing the sensibilities of the masses and the possible exploitation of what they say by others. It is better to avoid problems by forethought. No political party has come out strongly against Raj Thackeray’s chauvinism. Obviously, there is a vote-bank that subscribes to his views and no party wants to alienate it.

A. Bhagavathi Meena,

Tirunelveli

It is amusing to see the ongoing who-is-more-Marathi battle between the MNS and the Shiv Sena. Mindless accusations, cooked-up allegations, and random cacophony have filled the air. How a simple event of an Indian addressing an Indian audience in the national language can constitute disrespect to a certain section of society is beyond comprehension. What is ironical is that the chauvinist leaders will still end up gaining political mileage out of the issue. And it is none other than the citizens of India who are to blame because they have proved to the opportunistic politicians that they can be divided on parochial lines.

Amit Arora,

Mumbai

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