By the Editor: Siddharth Sehgal

Watching ShivSena MPs justifying their misbehavior in Loksabha reminded me of a line I read in George Orwell’s Animal Farm, all animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others. The law technically makes everyone equal whether it’s railway station or a shopping mall or an airport but because of VIP mindset that’s so much ingrained in our system that some people feel entitled to be above everyone else.

I am surprised ShivSena leadership would go such an extent to create raucous for an MP who was not only clearly at fault but also boasted of beating an Air India employee. Despite all the evidence against him, ShivSena tried to disrupt the workings of the session and Anant Geete, a minister in government and his fellow sainiks tried to physically assault a fellow minister, Ashok Gajapathi Raju. Moreover, Sanjay Raut threatened that no Air India flight will take off from Mumbai also accepting the fact that Uddhav Thakrey has given his blessings to issue such threats. I ask this to ShivSena, does one Ravindra Gaikwad became more important that people and the country. And this is when the concerned MP refused to apologize for his inappropriate behavior.

Had I been in place of House speaker or Home Minister or even PM, I would have brought the motion to suspend the MP and minister in question. Loksabha is a sacred temple of democracy not their constituency where they can muscle others into submission. I am a conservative at heart but even among conservative voters ShivSena hardly had any reputation of being civilized or courteous to general population. ‘Gundagardi’ does not work everywhere. ShivSena leaders should apologize to parliament and Civil Aviation Minister and also to that aggrieved air India employee. Everyone, regardless of their status or paycheck deserves to be treated with respect. Being a lower, mid or upper or any class public employee does not lessen anyone’s dignity. It is sad that our government is tolerating such tantrums from Sena. It is regrettable and disappointing that government gave in and took back the ban on Gaikwad. They should not have bent the knee against such thuggery.

We talk a lot about Ram Mandir and I think its important that it’s built in Ayodhay, I’ll keep that discussion for some other day but what about establishing Ram Rajya where everyone is treated equally and fairly. I have seen so many times that flights are delayed because some Netaji couldn’t come on time and this is just one example. Others examples of hypocrisy such as AAP leaders who claimed to be at the forefront of war against the VIP culture and yet they appointed their near and dear at executive level posts in the government. I wish and hope people see through the mask of these parties and politicians.