ADILABAD: In the latest incident of a political leader using high-handed methods to get his way, Bellampalli MLA Durgam Chinnaiah was seen slapping a toll plaza worker in the Mancherial district late on Tuesday night. Visuals of the incident have gone viral on social media platforms and become a hot topic of discussion among netizens.
Sources said the ruling party MLA was returning to his native place, Bellampalli, from Hyderabad. His car had to stop at the toll booth in Mandamarri at around 10.30 pm. He had to wait for the workers to clear the other cars so that he could pass, but there was an inordinate delay, which reportedly enraged Chinnaiah. Subsequently, he could be seen walking towards an on-duty toll booth staffer and slapping him. The visuals also show that other workers, fearing assault, running into their office. The incident was caught on CCTV cameras.
The MLA released a video statement on Wednesday denying that he slapped a worker of the toll plaza. However, he said that the people waiting in queue were unhappy about paying toll tax of Rs 150 while the works on the NH are still pending. He added that he only spoke to the toll booth manager about the issue so that the common man is not inconvenienced.
No case has been registered in this regard, said sources. Many leaders belonging to communist parties staged a protest on Wednesday against the MLA’s ‘high-handed’ behaviour.