To hell with traffic rules, we are 'vidhayaks'

LUCKNOW: When law makers turn law breakers then it is indeed time to apply the brakes. The issue of missing number plates on VIP vehicles has once again come to the fore with the ruling Samajwadi Party leading the brigade.
An SP ''Vidhyak, Jahanabad, Fatehpur'' has his designation boldly flashed in front of the vehicle which is dressed up with all the latest status symbol accessories like hooter, floodlights etc but the number plate is missing.The bewildered traffic cop who has the temerity to actually challan this vehicle will find only half the number -P, 3000 inscribed on the plate on the rear side.
Interestingly, when the leaders of all the parties were contacted by TOI on this issue most dismissed this flagrant violation of traffic rules as being a non-issue. Others have their heads in the sand attitude and refuse to admit that the problem even exists.
Samajwadi Party''s Ahmed Hasan unravelled the mystery of the missing number plates by arguing that many of the vehicles were new and that SP legislators had in all probability applied for the number which would be received in three or four days. "Frankly speaking this is the first time I have heard of this problem and it is really quite immaterial to discuss as nobody will drive a vehicle without a number plate."
While agreeing that the practise of not putting the number plate was bad and should be stopped, Azam Khan is of the view that there is absolutely nothing objectionable in the vehicle bearing the designation ''Vidhayak''. He argued that the car belongs to the owner and he can display whatever he likes on his vehicle. He added that number plates missing on SP vehicles were more prominent as it was the ruling party and therefore the number of cars bearing the SP flag were more in numbers.
When asked what the party could do to stop some MLAs and MLCs whose entire cavalcade of 5-10 cars has number plates missing and replaced with ''Vidhayak'', he said that he was certainly in favour of some kind of action but that it would need to be initiated by the appropriate authority like the transport minister or party president.
While having not initiated any action against errant MLAs with no number plates when he was Speaker, Keshari Nath Tripathi, the newly-appointed state BJP president said that it is very important that politicians comply with the rules. Despite contrary observations at BJP office premises, he claimed that nobody in the party was flouting the number plate rule. "The cars need to have number plates as any mafia don can then write ''Vidhayak'' and commit crimes with impunity thereby tarnishing the name of the legislators," he said. He added that instructions would be issued to party members to comply with the traffic regulations.
BJP legislative party leader, Lalji Tandon, said that the one car spotted without number plate at the office must be a new one. "It is only the ruling party mafia politicians who were violating this rule. They think it is a status symbol to travel with a cavalcade of cars with no number plates as they know that the traffic police will not check them," he said.
Congress legislative party leader, Pramod Tiwari said that nobody in his party was flouting the number plate rule so there was no requirement to issue instructions to members. "While ruling party cars do sport lal batti and hooters even they are not flouting this rule of number plates," he emphasised.
A BSP general secretary said that those MLAs who opt to not flash their designation on the number plate find themselves under great pressure to do so as the car is immediately recognised as VIP. He said that in this matter the traffic department will need to be a lot stricter to ensure that the laws are followed as MLAs are loathe to give up this status symbol and replace it with an ordinary number plate.