Sir — This refers to the appeal to the voters issued by some film personalities, including well-known producer-director Mahesh Bhatt, to support ‘secular’ candidates and parties. Although the appeal does not mention it, it is clear that the signatories are asking the people not to vote for the Bharatiya Janata Party and its prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi. Mr Bhatt himself backs the Congress.
But, for the likes of him, secularism doesn’t matter when Congress president Sonia Gandhi meets the Shahi Imam of Delhi’s Jama Masjid and seeks Muslim votes. Is this the sign of a secular partyIJ Does minority appeasement equal secularismIJ