INDORE: Akash Vijayvargiya, an MLA from Indore III and son of BJP National General Secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya who thrashed a civic official with a cricket bat in full public view here on Wednesday morning was arrested and produced in the district court.

Akash Vijayvargiya beat the municipal corporation zonal officer Dhirendra Bayas with a cricket bat. Bayas’ colleague Asit Khare along with the Municipal Commissioner Ashish Singh have also filed complaints against the MLA. 

A case has been registered against him in section 353, 294, 506, 147, 148 of obstruction, assault and rioting and obstructing government work. Akash has been presented. He has been presented in the court of Magistrate Gaurav Garg. 

The MLA was put through a medical examination in the government hospital before arrest. His supporters created noisy scenes before court.

Eyewitnesses said a team of the municipal corporation officials had reached the Ganji Compound area to pull down some dilapidated houses declared dangerous by the corporation. 

The residents had been alerted about the plan to pull down the houses that could collapse during the rain.

The municipal authorities said the MLA was told about the risk faced by the residents of the houses which were sought to be demolished. The MLA had claimed the houses were not dilapidated.

The residents had reportedly informed the MLA about the possible action by Indore Municipal Corporation. They had also threatened the corporation officials to leave the area in five minutes or prepare for dire consequences. They stoned the machinery that was brought to pull down the houses.

There were altercations between the corporation officials and the legislator. 

The goons accompanying the legislator had apparently informed the media about the possible adventure before assaulting the Corporation staff. During the entire incident, the media cameras remained focused on the MLA and recorded the entire incident. 

A video of the incident also went viral on the social media.

Akash Vijayvargiya came from behind the official who was talking on the phone and started hitting him. The police force deployed there remained mute witnesses. The public tried to snatch the bat from the MLA. 

The MLA continued to hit the official before the police finally rescued him. 

Later, Vijayvargiya reached the MG Road Police Station along with supporters. 

Another local BJP MLA Ramesh Maindola and his supporters also reached the police station 

The MLA and his cohorts were unrepentant over the incident. Akash Vijayvargiya, while boasting of the episode told journalists that “in the BJP, we’ve been taught, pehle aavedan, phir nivedan aur phir danadan. (first request and then attack)”.

“I am an elected representative. It is my responsibility to sort out the issues between the residents and the authorities. I was making every effort. But the civic body officials were indulging in hooliganism and weren’t listening to the people,” Akash said.

“I was very angry. I don’t remember what all I did. Let’s see what happens,” he added. He said there were no women members in the team of the civic body officials who went to the residential building during the anti-encroachment drive. He also alleged that the officers dragged the women residents and verbally abused one of them.

An FIR has been registered against Vijayvargiya and he has been booked for assault and obstructing a public servant from performing their duties. 

The police have also taken the statements of the two civic body officials.

Home Minister Bala Bachhan said: “You see, this is the real face and character of the BJP. They can’t control their public representative. This is their conspiracy. We will take strict action against them.”

Maindola, a close supporter of Kailash Vijayvargiya demanded police investigation against the municipal corporation authorities. All employees stopped work as soon as the news about the incident spread to the other offices of the municipal corporation.

After the dispute, the employees’ leader, Umakant Kale, took charge in the municipal corporation and stopped the work of all the departments.

A brief meeting was held in the corporation amid huge ruckus. The councillors supporting the BJP force the meeting to an end. 

Strangely, the Congress councillors have remained silent over the episode.

IANS