The Congress's disdain for norms in governance and for opinions other than those of the family that virtually controls the party is well-known. It was, therefore, no great surprise to see the dismissive attitude of the Manmohan Singh Government to the salutary suggestion made by BJP veteran LK Advani that the Government appoint a collegium to select the Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners.

As expected, Mr Pranab Mukherjee, the candidate of the United Progressive Alliance has won the presidential election by a comfortable margin. Given the relative strengths of the UPA and its main rival — the National Democratic Alliance — in the electoral college and the support he received from parties outside these two formations, Mr Mukherjee's victory was a foregone conclusion. However, some political developments during the presidential campaign and soon thereafter have raised doubts about the stability of coalitions at the federal level from here on and its implications on governance.

The Congress refuses to accept the contribution of Narasimha Rao as Prime Minister in rescuing Punjab from terror and saving the economy. This appears to be the Rao-bashing season. Although the Congress's ungrateful leaders and the pseudo-secular brigade do not need any specific reason or occasion to run down PV Narasimha Rao's phenomenal contribution to India, the last fortnight has seen a rash of stories which show the former Prime Minister in poor light.

Hindus and Muslims lived amicably in undivided India until Britain colonised the country, promoted conflict between the two communities, pursued a policy of divide and rule and eventually presided over the division of the country before exiting from the subcontinent. This is the standard narrative of many Left-leaning historians who shut their eyes to historical truths and moulded history to suit their ideological predilections.