Pune: A group of former MLAs and MPs from Pune has called for a public movement to make elected representatives improve their conduct and become more accountable. This comes against the backdrop of a scuffle between supporters of NCP (SP) MLA Jitendra Awhad and BJP MLA Gopichand Padalkar on the penultimate day of the monsoon assembly session in Mumabi on July 17.Appealing to people to raise their voices against such incidents of misconduct, Kumar Saptarshi, former MLA and president of Maharashtra Gandhi Smarak Nidhi, said, “Some MLAs think they have a licence for five years to do whatever they want. They consider themselves above the citizens of the country. Therefore, the common people will have to come forward to bring them back to the ground and show them that the citizens are at the highest level in democracy.“Former Rajya Sabha member from NCP (SP) Vandana Chavan said that she represented the state in parliament for 12 years, and during all this time, she witnessed respect for Maharashtra by MPs from other states. “It is due to the rich and progressive culture of the state and the decent conduct of politicians. However, the incidents in the recent past have brought shame to the state,” she said.Calling these incidents as serious signs for the state, satirist and former MLA Phutane said the deteriorating quality of the education system and the delayed justice delivery system are promoting anti-social elements in society. “I am afraid to say that such people are becoming role models for the new generation. Unless society starts a movement to bring changes to the entire system, it is quite difficult to improve the situation,” he added. Former minister of state Balasaheb Shivarkar said, “After watching the visuals of the scuffle, I feel ashamed to say that I was a member of the same assembly in the past.” A day after the incident, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis told the assembly that people have started thinking that the elected representatives have become arrogant.
