Witty MLAs make light of serious business

Politics is generally looked upon as a serious business, and politicians are supposed to take their work very seriously. However, they are human after all!

They also have lot of wit and humour, and this has been on display many times during the ongoing session of the state assembly. Be it members of the ruling party or those in opposition, both have used humour to good effect to put their point through and hit out at the opposite side.

The alleged ‘porngate’ scandal came as a rude shock to Modi government, but this didn’t stop BJP MLAs from having fun — even at the cost of their own party colleagues.

“Considering the manner in which opposition and media are baying for their blood, Shankar Chaudhary and Jetha Bharwad must be thinking it would have been better, had they actually watched obscene material in the House,” quipped a BJP MLA in the assembly premises, who also claimed that the two MLAs had not done anything wrong.

Finance minister Vaju Vala may be one of the oldest members in the House but he is also one of the wittiest and the craftiest. In fact, his spontaneous wittiness is almost legendary, and not without reason.

This was on display when Congress MLA Raghavji Patel said during one of the debates that power was not permanent and that those in power today could be warming the opposition benches tomorrow. This drew a quick response from Vala who told Patel that he could have been sitting on the treasury benches even today had he not quit the BJP.

Congress MLA Arjun Modhwadia has shown that the responsibility of navigating the opposition in the absence of Shaktisinh Gohil has not dimmed his wit one bit.   

During the discussion on a private bill on black magic, Modhwadia said that an ashram along Sabarmati river had earned notoriety for the social ill. He did not name the ashram, but minister Pradipsinh Jadeja told Modhwadia that he could not take Asaram Ashram's name as the matter (of killing of two boys) was before a judicial commission.

A smiling Modhwadia quickly responded by saying that there were over 500 ashrams along the Sabarmati, and also thanked Jadeja for bringing up the name of the ashram.

When BJP members heaped praises on Modi by describing him as praja vatsal mukhya mantri (people-loving chief minister), the opposition MLAs hit back calling him Udyog Vatsal Mukhya Mantri (industry-loving chief minister).

The Opposition has also coined terms such as Chhel Chhabilo, to go with the chief minister's fetish for festivals, and Aapna Saheb, pointing to the fact that nothing happens in the government without his permission, to describe the CM.

Modhwadia also referred to a highly popular song - Bhala Mori Rama - to express concern about indiscreet sale of land to industries by the state government.

The other Opposition MLAs formed the chorus as their leader recited the song in the assembly. Saurabh Patel, minister of state of more than half a dozen key departments, also showed his witty side in the assembly. Replying to the debate on power sector's budgetary demands, Patel criticised Opposition MLAs for their flip flop. "When we buy power, you criticise us. When we sell power, you criticise us. It's time you decide and tell us what we should do - should we buy power or should we sell power," Patel questioned, leading to peals of laughter in the assembly. The House also witnessed frequent exchange of jibes between Shaktisinh Gohil and minister Pradipsinh Jadeja with both of them fondly addressing the other as Bapu, before the former's suspension. Unfortunately, the House hasn't got to see the funny side of chief minister Narendra Modi. Modi has spoken only twice in the current assembly session - both times it was to read condolence messages.