The State’s riding roughshod over democratic norms With reference to the report Ramlila crackdown show of State might, police brutality (February 24), the Supreme Court has rightly pulled up the Indian government for behaving arrogantly towards Baba Ramdev and his followers at Ramlila Maidan in June 2011. The unilateral action of the Delhi Pol-ice against the people was an assault on the democratic values that are enshrined in our Constitution. It was also an example of the growing trust deficit between the people and the government. The stand taken by the UPA leaders on the Election Commission, which has been doing a wonderful job, also shows that it’s not learnt any lessons from the Ramdev episode.
Bapu Satyanarayana, Mysore

Nothing political about a rape case
With reference to Antara Das’s article Wrong kind of rape (February 23), the West Bengal government must be reprimanded for trivialising the issue and giving it a political colour. It’s a shame that in a country where the President is a woman and state’s chief minister is a woman, the lady was subjected to so much humiliation. Civil society must come out in support of the woman who has been wronged by the goons and the government.
Ashok Goswami, Mumbai

It is insensitive on West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s part to blame the rape victim rather than taking the police force to task. As the first woman chief minister of West Bengal, the least she could have done was to order a quick and thorough investigation. Unfortunately, there has been no strong reaction from the political fraternity as well. This is because Ban-erjee has effectively pushed the Left and the Congress out of the picture in the state after her victory last year.
Bal Govind, Noida