Batala AAP MLA in verbal spat over traffic challan

Batala, May 12

AAP MLA Amansher Singh Kalsi threw political decorum to the winds by getting involved in a spat with police officers in full public glare over an issue as trivial as the issuance of a traffic challan to one of his loyalists.

A supporter of the legislator was driving a motorcycle without a registration plate. A team led by DSP Harwinder Singh Gill and Batala (City) police station SHO Balwinder Singh pulled him over.

They were taken aback when he told the officers “to drop the proceedings because he was close to MLA Kalsi”.

The loyalist dialed the legislator who, in turn, called up the officers on their mobile phones. However, the cops did not respond. In the meantime, the offender was handed over the traffic challan.

An angry MLA later drove down to the scene, leading to an argument. A video of the incident went viral, giving enough ammunition to Kalsi’s rivals to fire verbal volleys at him for the “abysmally low levels of political decorum to which he had stooped”.

Passersby were surprised to see their MLA involved in a verbal skirmish with police officers over a meager traffic violation. “Kalsi is the voice of 1.50 lakh people. We did not elect him for this. He picked up a quarrel with police officers who were rightly doing their job by challaning a person whose bike bore no number plate. This is what happens when you elect a political greenhorn,” said a Congress councillor.

The legislator could not be reached for comment.