A video emerged on social media on Wednesday where Joginder Pal, Congress MLA from Punjab’s Bhoa seat, thrashing a person for asking what the legislator had done for the constituency, reported NDTV.
The man who Pal beat up has been identified as Harsh Kumar, according to PTI.
The incident took place on Tuesday, when Pal was addressing an event in the constituency. The MLA was speaking about the work he had overseen in the village where he was addressing the group of people.
In the video, Kumar says something to Pal. The Congress MLA, however, looks at him and continues to speak. Later, Pal gives the microphone to Kumar and asks him to speak.
“What have you done?” Kumar asks Pal.
The MLA then starts slapping Kumar. Police officials and others present at the event can also be seen thrashing him.
On Wednesday, Kumar said he had asked the MLA a question, but was badly beaten up. Kumar’s mother has demanded police action in the matter.
State Home Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa said: “The MLA should not have behaved in this fashion. We are the people’s representatives and here to serve them.”
Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party hit out at the Congress in Punjab, saying the incident showed the intolerant face of the party.
“After Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Vadra turned out journalists from their PCs [press conferences] for asking factual questions, it is turn of Joginder Singh, Congress MLA from Boha [Bhoa] in Pathankot, to thrash a young man black and blue for just questioning him,” Amit Malviya, BJP’s Information Technology Cell head said in a tweet on Wednesday.
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