IT was not difficult to imagine that Princes Town MP Subhas Panday had his guns trained on controversial Independent Senator Dana Seetahal.

After all, while he made his contribution to the debate on the Bill to amend the Family Proceedings Act, 2005, Panday had a photo of Dana and a printout of an article which she wrote in the Trinidad Guardian propped against his microphone stand.

It must have been for inspiration.

But he did not spare the Independent a tongue lashing, obviously unafraid of the “Dragon lady” who is prosecuting Imam Yasin Abu Bakr on sedition, arms and ammunition and terrorism charges in the Port of Spain Magistrates’ Court.

Panday was treading a thin line -- Speaker Barry Sinnanan, must have kept an open ear to ensure that he did not breach the Standing Orders -- when he all but called on the President to review his list of Independents in the Upper House.

“Imagine Mr. X is passing work to you, and you come in the House to criticise him when he could cut off your briefs,” the younger Panday said.

“I have observed a softening by some members of the Senate and I ask why?”

“People in the other place have been beneficiaries of State funds,” he declared.

“Are we not undermining democracy in this country?

“Where is the Separation of Powers?

“How can you effectively function as a member of the Legislature when you take a brief from the State; it means the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and the executive become your boss.”

“As an MP, when I take a brief from the DPP he could tell me what to do!” Subhas declared.

He continued: “When the President speaks of morality and legality, he should know that some of the persons he appoints are undermining the principles in this Parliament.

“Someone objected to a member of the Legislature being employed by the executive.”

“They are using their articles in the newspapers to defend what they are fighting for.”

As far as I know, “he suggested”, the Legislature has a right to criticise the Executive and the DPP; the time has come for his Excellency to appoint his people in good faith.

“Ingratiating yourself to get work from the executive and the DPP means the people who go to get a bus at City Gate, those who live in Laventille, Diego Martin and Siparia, won’t feel that democracy is strong.”

“His Excellency has a heavy burden to ensure that democracy is maintained and the Separation of Powers is maintained, and there is no pollution of the system.”

And all of this was based simply on Seetahal’s change of mind about whether magistrates in the Family Court should refer parties to mediation, even without their consent.

As it turned out, she supported the amendment when it was taken before the Senate last November 15.

So it looked as if the Dragon Lady was an open range for Sub-has’ guns on Wednes-day afternoon.