JAIPUR: In the latest controversy to hit the BJP in election-bound Rajasthan, the son of a minister in the Vasundhara Raje Government pulled a man out of his car on a road in Banswara district and slapped him repeatedly in a gross instance of hooliganism and misuse of power. Though the incident reportedly happened a month back, it was caught on a CCTV camera - and after the video emerged recently on social media, a major row has erupted.
In the video clip of over a minute, Rajveer, the son of junior Panchayati Raj Minister Dhan Singh Rawat, is seen slapping a youth apparently for failing to give side to his jeep at Vidyut colony in Banswara district of southern Rajasthan. His aides also damaged the window panes of the car. The incident took place on 1 June but the police has not received any official complaint about it and the Police claim the matter has been privately settled between the two parties.
WATCH
"They had a scuffle but no FIR was lodged as the two sides came to a settlement. An officer was sent to the victim's family but they refused to file a complaint", says Banswara SP Kalu Ram Rawat.
According to the sources, the victim named Prerak was driving his car and Rajveer's jeep was just behind. When Prerak did not give him side, Rajveer was provoked and once his jeep driver overtook the car, Rajveer got down and forcefully pulled Prerak out of his car and thrashed him while his aides damaged his car too. People on the road informed the police about the incident but no FIR was registered under pressure as the victim's father is an agriculture supervisor in the state government. The vicitm's family is not too keen on any police action.
However, after the CCTV footage went viral, the opposition Congress latched on to the issue and raked up a political controversy. Rajasthan PCC Chief Sachin Pilot has sharply criticized the incident saying that an innocent boy was openly thrashed by a minister's son but the district administration failed to take any action. " It shows that in BJP government, powerful people are free to misuse power and make a mockery of law and order. If no action is taken, the Congress will launch an agitation against all such acts" as per a press release by the PCC chief.
State Minister Dhan Singh Rawat was unavailable for any response but BJP Media Spokesperson Anand Sharma countered the attack made by the Congress chief: "When there is no complaint, how can the matter be investigated and how can police take any action. Congress has a habit of throwing useless allegations on the BJP".