Letters to The Editor — February 12, 2026

Parliamentary proceedings

The episode around the pandemonium in Parliament arising from the Speaker of the Lok Sabha not allowing the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha to read extracts from an unpublished book and the subsequent move by Opposition MPs to submit a notice seeking a removal of the Speaker for allegedly conducting the business of the House (Inside pages, February 11) are unfortunate events. The Congress and other Opposition parties should have shown more maturity and sorted out the issue rather than resorting to such an extreme step. There is also another issue — of the Deputy Speaker presiding over the proceedings. Unfortunately, for some inexplicable reason, the House has failed to elect a Deputy Speaker. Will the ruling National Democratic Alliance at least now take the initiative to fill up the post?

K.R. Jayaprakash Rao,

Mysuru

The notice of a no-confidence motion against the Lok Sabha Speaker marks a significant moment of institutional friction. The allegations levelled against him suggest a breakdown in parliamentary neutrality that is essential for a healthy democracy. Parallel to this, the controversy surrounding an unpublished book raises critical questions about transparency and censorship.

Aarchi Verma,

Rajpura, Punjab

Serious national issues should not be reduced to personal insinuations against tall political leaders. Matters such as the unresolved border dispute with China and the India-U.S. trade deal require transparent and honest discussion in Parliament. Curtailing debate weakens democracy; engaging with it strengthens governance.

M. Jeyaram,

Sholavandan, Tamil Nadu

The conduct of Members of Parliament on the floor of the House and outside is cause for concern. There is a flouting of decency and decorum, a violation of rules, shouting matches and aggressive placard parades. No party is above blame. The day is not far off when MPs may indulge in fisticuffs.

S.V. Venkatakrishnan,

Singapore

Cricket economics

News that Pakistan is set to withdraw the boycott of the T20 World Cup match with India after parleys with International Cricket Council officials is like a political thriller played behind closed doors (‘Sport’ page, February 11). Backroom negotiations and the intervention of Sri Lanka Cricket along with financial implications and sanctions have resulted in Pakistan‘s ‘U’ turn. The price had become too high forcing Pakistan to recalibrate, and politics had to give way to commercial interests.

Dr. Thomas Palocaren,

Vellore, Tamil Nadu