Punjab Congress MLA assaults man for asking about constituency work
Darpan News Desk IANS, 20 Oct, 2021 10:54 AM
Chandigarh, Oct 20 (IANS) In an apparent embarrassment for the ruling Congress in Punjab, its legislator Joginder Pal and his security men allegedly assaulted a youth who questioned him about the work done in the constituency in nearly five years.
A video of the incident has gone viral on social media.
The video shows the legislator, dressed in a white kurta, talking about the development work carried out by him in his Boha constituency in Pathankot district.
When he was publicly confronted by the youth about what exactly he has done for this constituency, the legislator first asked the youth to approach him and then started beating him.
The legislator and his gunmen can be seen beating up the youth who asked, "What have you really done?"
The victim's mother pleaded for action against the legislator. "My son just asked the MLA about the development works carried out by him in the constituency and he was beaten up for this," she told the media.
Responding to the incident, 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," Randhawa said.
Describing the incident as a shameless act, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) said, "Ask a question and this is what you get in return."
"INC Punjab MLA Joginder Pal along with the police, thrashed a man who took an account of his non-performance. Get ready to face the consequences, people will resolutely revert to this slap on democracy in 2022," the party tweeted.
Calling the reports of alleged snooping on prominent citizens using Israeli Pegasus spyware as "baseless", the ruling BJP on Monday said there is not a single shred of evidence so far that links either the central government or the party to this controversy.
Congress MPs from both Houses had met on Sunday afternoon at Rajya Sabha member Pratap Singh Bajwa's residence to discuss the issues related to Punjab and sought an appointment with Gandhi.
Apart from reviewing the security arrangements in the national capital, the Delhi Police have also strengthened the security in and around the Red Fort ahead of the Independence Day.
Police said acting on a specific information, Budgam Police along with the Army's 53 RR and 43 BN of the CRPF arrested one local terrorist linked with proscribed terror outfit LeT and recovered incriminating materials, arms and ammunition including one Chinese pistol, one magazine, eight live pistol rounds from his possession.
As the Pegasus spyware scandal unravelled within and outside Parliament, he termed it a "shocking assault" on India's democratic polity by the Union government, which had compromised the national security with "this blatantly disgraceful act".
The shocking incident happened on Sunday when the lawyer, Satyadev Joshi and his associate Ankit Tandon had gone to survey a land for a client in Dahisar suburb.
