BJP MLA booked for slapping on-duty cop at Pune hospital
What's the story
A case has been registered against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Sunil Kamble for allegedly slapping an on-duty police constable at an inauguration program on Friday in Pune, Maharashtra.
A video of the incident, in which the legislator from Pune Cantonment constituency can be seen slapping the on-duty constable at Sassoon General Hospital, has since gone viral.
Details
Know about Kamble's visit to Pune hospital event
According to reports, Kamble was at the Sasson Hospital to inaugurate a ward for transgender people when the incident occurred.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, Medical Education Minister Hasan Mushrif, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) state President Sunil Tatkare, and Congress MLA Ravindra Dhangekar attended the event.
The cop who Kumar slapped is a constable attached to the Bundgarden Police Station.
Twitter Post
Viral clip of BJP MLA slapping police personnel
#WATCH | Maharashtra | BJP MLA Sunil Kamble was seen slapping a Police personnel during an event at Sassoon Hospital in Pune today. Deputy CM Ajit Pawar was present on the stage at the event when the incident occurred.
— ANI (@ANI) January 5, 2024
Visuals show Sunil Kamble leaving the stage after the… pic.twitter.com/gSXTRmINMr
What Next?
Kamble booked under IPC Section 353
Based on the complaint by the constable, a case has been registered against the BJP leader under Indian Penal Code (IPC) Section 353 (assault or criminal force to deter a public servant from discharging his duty).
Kamble, on the other hand, claimed he did not slap the constable.
"When I was getting on stage, one person grabbed my shirt's collar, and another person elbowed me thrice. So, I just pushed them back. I don't know who they are," he said.
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Alleged reason behind Kamble's outrage
Reports claimed that the MLA was annoyed because his name was not included in the program's banner. There are also reports that Kamble slapped NCP worker Jitendra Satav while getting on stage.
The list of political leaders who have engaged in similar behavior is vast and cuts across party lines. It includes NCP leader Jitendra Awhad, Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction) leaders Santosh Bangar, Abdul Sattar, Hemant Patil, and Prakash Surve.