Sir — The conviction of and five-year jail term to Rashtriya Janata Dal chief lalu Prasad is a grim reminder to corrupt politicians who believe that they can get away with anything. The failed ordinance that the Congress-led UPA tried to bring was to protect corrupt leaders like lalu Prasad.
The unchecked power that a politician enjoys without a sense of accountability is to a large measure the cause of corruption. Many people join politics with the primary intent of filling their coffers in the garb of serving the country. Various scams surface, and the people lose faith in the political class. There is a desperate need to cleanse the system.
The only way to curb this menace is to act swiftly and decisively against corrupt individuals. Politicians must stop treating the country as their fiefdom.