Karnataka Assembly Speaker UT Khader stirred controversy on Tuesday after he demanded a special VVIP toll lane for MLAs and retired lawmakers at toll plazas. When slammed for showcasing the Congress party’s elitist mindset, he later corrected his position, stating that a separate lane “is not possible” and that the demand was made by an MLA.
After two Congress MLAs claimed that they were harassed at toll gates, Khader directed that the PWD minister, Satish Jarkiholi, have a word with the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). The discussion was started when Congress MLA Narendraswamy moved for a calling attention motion and claimed that toll plaza employees had mistreated him.
“On June 17, when I was travelling on Mysuru road towards Bengaluru, I stopped at the Sheshagiri Halli toll plaza. Despite having an MLA pass, personnel at the toll plaza behaved in a way that breaches the respect of lawmakers. The pass was scrutinized as if it was a police investigation. The personnel behave like goondas and use abusive language. He added that the matter concerns all MLAs,” Congress MLA Narendraswamy was quoted as saying.
Hubli-Dharwad (East) Congress MLA Abbayya Prasad echoed the same sentiments. “Every time I travel between Hubballi and Bengaluru, I face the same problem. Our passes aren’t considered. They ask for other IDs. There’s a dispute all the time,” he frowned.
In response to the concerns, Satish Jarkiholi stated that he will schedule a meeting with the NHAI to talk about this. Khader advised Narendraswamy to file a motion for violation of privilege. To Jarkiholi, Khader said, “When you call a meeting, ask (NHAI) for a separate VIP lane. Also, their policy doesn’t cover ex-MLAs. They, too, should be covered.”
The opposition, meanwhile, criticised UT Khader’s proposal for a separate lane at toll booths and labelled it as a symbol of “elitism.”
BJP MP Tejasvi Surya tweeted, “Karnataka Assembly Speaker and Congress MLA UT Khadar’s suggestion of making special lanes for MLAs at toll plazas, reeks of elitism and displays the Congress’s VIP culture mindset. While PM Modi, through rules & personal actions, is trying to put an end to this colonial era culture, Congress tries to perpetuate VIP culture in every opportunity they get.”
After facing severe criticism, UT Khader later revised his demand on Thursday, stating that a “separate VVIP lane is not practical” after his initial demand caused a commotion.
“A separate lane is already there at every toll but this wasn’t there in Mysuru-Bengaluru toll…There is no question of a separate VVIP lane, it is not practical,” UT Khader told the media. He said that it was an MLA who made the recommendation, not him.
This is not the first time Congress is being accused of indulging in VVIP culture. In 2018, the Congress government in Karnataka under Siddaramaiah, spent Rs. 36 crores on phone bills of MLAs and MLCs during its rule, an RTI had revealed. Each of the 224 MLAs and 75 MLCs received Rs. 20,000 per month as a phone allowance.
That year it was also revealed that the state hospitality department under the then Congres Govt splurged 42 lakh rupees to host political leaders during the swearing-in ceremony of H.D. Kumaraswamy.
In fact, this brazen display of VVIP culture is not only confined to Congress. In 2021, reports emerged about how NCP supremo and former Indian Olympic Association president Sharad Pawar, Sports Minister Sunil Kedar, Cabinet Minister Aditi Tatkare and other ministers and dignitaries parked their vehicles on a race track for athletes in Pune’s Shivachhatrapati Sports Complex sparking controversy.
It has been a general trend in Indian politics that taxpayers have to bear the brunt of politicians wasting money on luxuries.