Letters to the Editor: Another blow to Congress

The resignation of senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal from the Congress and filing nominations for the Rajya Sabha
Letters to the Editor: Another blow to Congress

Another blow to Congress

The resignation of senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal from the Congress and filing nominations for the Rajya Sabha as an independent candidate from Uttar Pradesh with support from the Samajwadi Party is a great loss for the Congress. The 74-year-old lawyer who held important responsibility during UPA 1 and UPA 2 was at loggerheads with the party leadership for the last few years on the question of the Gandhi family holding the post of presidentship of the party. He, along with 22 other senior leaders, wrote to Sonia Gandhi for a change of leadership in a democratic way. However, the matter has not been taken seriously by the party high command. At last, he resigned from the Congress on 16th May.

Barely after a week of Hardik Patel's exit from the party in poll-bound Gujarat, Kapil's resignation is a serious matter for the party. It seems the party, in the interest of Rahul and Priyanka, is not taking other senior leaders' (except some sycophants') views seriously. It may not take many years for the party to be a national party in the name only as Rahul Gandhi is no match to our honourable Modiji.

Bikash Barpujari,

Beltola , Guwahati.

Patenting lies

These days, the so-called Gnanvapi mosque in Kashi (Uttar Pradesh) is currently the top news with the latest videos and photos with engrossing facts. The Hindu side has been making a good claim for a long time that the Gnanvapi mosque was an ancient Hindu shrine and directly supports the claim by its reference to the Vedas, Upanishadas and Puranas. The famous Viswanath temple is a stone's throw away from the Gnanvapi mosque which was demolished by the Muslim rulers, including Mughals but was rebuilt/renovated after each raid. Similarly, the Gnanvapi mosque was built on the debris of the then existing 'Sringer Gauri Matt' by the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb in 1669. The issue is subjudice in the courts, and we have to wait till a final verdict is pronounced.

On the other hand, the Muslim side consisting of some moulanas, moulovis and particularly Asaduddin Owaisi, AIMIM leader and MP, are up in arms about validating their claim for the Gnanvapi mosque being built as a mosque originally. In their emotional outburst on the TV channels, the issue has been made the ugliest debate as to if they have got a 'patent right' for dishing out mistruths, irrational logic and even plain lies. The recorded history has long-established that during the Muslim occupation of India cruelties were meted out to Hindus in many forms and thousands of Hindu temples were got demolished and mosques were built on their debris under the royal command. Being Indians how can they speak in support of the barbaric acts of the foreign invaders? The religious loyalty surpassing the Indian nationality is anti-constitutional and the perpetrators must be booked under law. In the court-monitored survey report, a stunning revelation has been made that Hindu deities, Shivling, Nandi and symbols rose, conch, trident, swastika etc., were found.

Pannalal Dey,

Guwahati.

Misuse of power

As per a media report "Stadium is emptied, athletes told to leave so that IAS officer can walk with dog" made for shocking and sad reading and should act as an eye-opener for all about the misuse of power by the authority. Unable to understand, instead of walking his pet dog in the street, why Delhi's Principal Secretary (Revenue) walks his dog with his wife (assume as per photo) at the Delhi government-run Thyagraj Stadium? Moreover, this is not the recent happening. That too, over the past few months, athletes and coaches have been complaining about being forced to wrap training earlier than usual, by 7 pm. Though the IAS officer concerned said: "I would never ask an athlete to leave the stadium that belongs to them." If so, then why did the stadium guards walk towards the track at around 6.30 pm, blowing whistles and ensuring that the arena was cleared by 7 pm? Whatsoever, after the India Express report, Delhi Chief Minister (CM) Arvind Kejriwal directs sports facilities to remain open till 10 pm. But not only the extent of the time, but the people also want to know what action has been taken against the Stadium authority and the main culprit, a 1994-batch IAS officer. Delhi government should not rely on both of them, a proper check and stringent action is a must. The time extension is only a lenient action.

Bidyut Kumar Chatterjee,

Faridabad 121005

Penalizing Wimbledon

That ATP and WTA have decided to penalize Wimbledon for its decision to ban the Russian and Belarusian players from the tournament this year by stripping ranking points will certainly take the sheen out of the most prestigious Grand Slam tennis tournament in the world and will reduce it to a mere exhibition event.

Wimbledon has earned more wrath worldwide, particularly because Russian and Belarusian players are still allowed to compete in other tournaments, including the ongoing French Open. The ATP ranking system is the gold standard when it comes to men's and women's tennis, and a professional tennis player's ability is solely determined by his/her position in the rankings. Perhaps, the unfortunate decision to deprive the ranking points may lead to a significant divide among the tennis governing bodies in the long run. Both ATP and WTA might have served a volley to Wimbledon for its intransigent and uncompromising nature, but in the end players and fans are the real losers. There are setpoint, match point and championship point, but no ranking points. So sad of you, Wimbledon!

Ranganathan Sivakumar,

Chennai, Tamil Nadu.

Long-term strategy for digital payments

Online commerce and digital payments are expanding all over the world. Recent years have witnessed a surge in the number of people handling digital payments. Digital payments in India have seen innovation in recent times. Digital banking is becoming more popular in India. The number of people using cashless transactions is increasing rapidly across the country. Covid-19 has played a significant role in accelerating the adoption of digital payments in India, as lockdowns and movement restrictions encouraged consumers to switch to cashless payment alternatives. Digital banking is being used by more than 20 crore Indians. India's rapid growth of digital payments has resulted in an innovative financial ecosystem that benefits ordinary people. The progress is the consequence of a mix of changes to the payment regulatory environment and extensive use of technology to meet customer needs. According to a recent report, India ranks number 1 in recording the highest number of real-time payments in 2021 among businesses across the world. It made 48.6 billion real-time payments last year, surpassing China. To encourage digital transactions in rural and semi-urban regions, the Reserve Bank of India has unveiled a framework that allows offline payments of up to Rs 200 per transaction, subject to a total limit of Rs 2,000, without the need for Internet access. India continues to push the boundaries of digital payments. According to experts, the value of digital payments in India will triple by 2026, reaching $1 trillion. Newer technologies that assure digital payments in a more secure, safe and sustainable environment are badly needed to satisfy consumers.

Krishna Kumar Vepakomma

Hyderabad -500045.

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