Early Times Report
Srinagar, May 31: At the ongoing Budget session here, three Peoples Democratic Party MLAs, who had become attention-grabbers for their "unity and fearless behavior" at the Legislative Assembly are facing a PDP whip, which has asked them to "mend their ways."
Since day one of the Assembly session, the trio had been conspicuously moving around together and even shared the same bench in the House during the proceedings. Given their "unusual proximity and fearless behavior", they had fetched the sobriquet of "Tridev" by their colleagues.
While two of them were Cabinet ministers in the previous Mufti Muhammad Sayeed -led government, the third one was a junior minister. Though the trio had remained in limelight in the previous government, they didn't figure in the new council of ministers, which assumed oath on April 4, with Mehbooba Mufti as the Chief Minister.
Seemingly inspired by the proverb, "A friend in need is a friend in deed", all the three of them, being out of power, have united as one voice. Their colleagues said they seem to be on common agenda as they exhibit similar behavior in the Legislative Assembly and equally defend each other.
Since last Thursday, when most of the PDP and BJP lawmakers avoided even any eye-to-eye contact with firebrand MLA Langate Engineer Rashid, who was staging solo protests at the Assembly entrance against the Handwara incident, this group not only publicly greeted him but even shook hands with him.
They even inquired from him what his protests were about. Interestingly, Engineer Rashid was equally cordial with them.
On the other hand, the opposition benchers are also friendly with the trio and interact with them in a harmonious manner. Some National Conference leaders also share lighter moments with the "Tridev."
The pictures of trio sitting together in the House have already gone viral on social media, particularly Facebook, with most of their admirers sharing the "unity moments" with hashtag #Tridev.
But sources said a whip has been issued against them by the PDP, asking them to "behave" much in accordance with popular maxim, "Do in Rome as the Romans do."
Sources said some of the "Khabri MLAs and MLCs" holding ministerial berths complained before the party high command that the trio was trying to "grab undue attention and that they need to be cut to their size before they rise in popularity again."
"Recently, there was even an open brawl between the two factions following which a complaint was filed before the party high command," the sources said. "This all prompted party to issue whip. But results are awaited," a PDP leader told Early Times asking not to be named. |
