The VIP culture in India

About 20-25 years ago if a journalist wanted to interview a politician(MP) in India, he couldn't do it in Delhi as they had a super busy schedule and they had a full court along with them. All the party members, the bodyguards and hundreds of followers. So they used to meet them on their tours. The main objective of this was that these MPs had a habit of holding a court sessions(seminar) and speak in front of crowds and they would sometimes spill the beans in front of crowds. So they are very much habitual to being pampered, followed treated like royal family above everyone else. In such case what if they are told to remove the red light from their car? Told that even their special cars will be taken away and they have to travel like a common man as other people in India travel which is via trains, metros, buses?

They will be flabbergasted at the audacity of such suggestion by a human. They are after all the "MP". Before continuing, I would just like to share a picture of British Prime Minister David Cameron when he was the Prime Minister.

Its not like the people who are sitting didn't recognize him or didn't notice the fact that the Prime Minister is standing. They aren't offering their seat and the Prime Minister who is standing also is not bothered by the fact that he has to stand. They are all equal. David Cameron didn't get a seat so what? It happens. The Prime Minister is equal and is treated like any other citizen.

But in India it is outrageous and impossible to think that an MP will stand in queue or travel in a bus to his meeting. After all other citizens too go on their work, adjust time and travel normally. No. Not possible in India. Uma Bharti says this "If a minister is going on his duty and he is delayed because of some traffic its not okay. Its okay to even delay a plane if a minister is late. If a minister doesn't reach the meeting on time, the decision can be delayed by 6 months and will cost crores of rupees on daily basis. That is why they require Red Light on their cars."

An MP of a very renowned party beat an employee of Air India with his sandal multiple times because he wasn't upgraded to business class whereas the employee was trying to explain that the plane didn't have a business class at all. When confronted he agreed that he beat the employee with his sandal and said that the employee insulted him. Air India released a public video in which the employee was seen requesting and there was no sign of any insults being traded from the staff point of view. The party released a statement that they have video evidence of the staff misbehaving and it has been 6 months and we are still waiting for the video...

Note:
80% of the MPs according to declared assets are millionaires. Still...
An MP is entitled to a minimum pension of Rs.20,000 per month and additional pension of Rs.1,500 per month for every year of membership of Parliament in excess of 5 years. There is no upper limit on the amount of pension entitlement.
An ex-MP is entitled to free train travel in AC-I class anywhere in the country alone or in AC-II with a companion.
PS: A person who has been MP even for a day is eligible for this. 

Dedicated to,
all the citizens of India,
Members of Parliament,
Thank You for reading,
From,
Hetansh Shah a.k.a Hetu :]

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