Thaindian News

Shillong, Dec 19 (IANS) A Meghalaya legislator who heads the state assembly’s privileges and ethics committee has summoned two traffic policemen for booking him for traffic violation, according to an official Monday.

Congress legislator Ronnie V. Lyngdoh, who heads the privileges and ethics panel, said he was forced to summon constable Sandeep Thapa for “his misbehaviour”, despite introducing himself as a legislator.

Thapa had booked Lyngdoh earlier this month for parking his vehicle at a ‘No Parking Zone’ here in Shillong.

Both Thapa and traffic in-charge Inspector Cherry Shadap Friday received notices to appear before the committee Tuesday to explain their action against the legislator.

“I requested him politely to allow me to park my small vehicle for 10-15 minutes but the traffic policeman was very rude and instead issued me a summon slip to appear before a traffic police officer at Laitumkhrah police station,” Lyngdoh told IANS Monday.

The legislator said what shocked him most was that the traffic policeman directed him to park his car in a narrow road. “I had parked my car in a space where I was causing no obstruction to traffic but the behaviour of the policeman was unwarranted,” he said.

Meanwhile, several organisations decried the action of the house panel and lauded the two traffic personnel for trying to uphold the law.

“We cannot accept the manner in which the privileges committee decided to summon the two traffic personnel just because they are doing their duty. Instead, they deserved to be rewarded for their good job,” Khasi Students’ Union leader Hamletson Dohling said.

Civil Society Women’s Organisation chief Agnes Kharshiing said: “Legislators cannot violate the very laws that are laid down just because they happen to enjoy certain privileges.”

“The police are there to see that laws are not violated and are applied equally to everyone. Privileges should be guided by laws and not by the whims and fancies of those who are there for five years,” she added.

A senior police officer, who did not wish to be named, said: “The legislator must appreciate the traffic policeman for upholding the law that he legislated.”

Last week, a traffic policeman had slapped a fine of Rs.1,000 on Community and Rural Development Minister Saleng A. Sangma for parking his brand new SUV at an unauthorised place.