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Updated: May 27, 2020 17:34 IST

Akash Vijayvargiya, the BJP’s Indore legislator who thrashed a municipal official, received a tongue lashing in-absentia from Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday who made it clear that he had taken a very dim view of his conduct.

Akash’s father and BJP general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya was present at the meeting, occupying a seat in one of the back rows.

PM Modi did not name either of them at the meeting of BJP’s parliamentary party that has lawmakers from the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha on Tuesday. But he left no one in doubt what had provoked the sharp reprimand.

PM Modi referred to the video clip of the assault . “I see people hitting them… Did people vote us for this,” PM Modi said.

Also Watch | Kailash Vijayvargiya defends son accused of thrashing civic official

He told the party to identify local BJP leaders who had participated in the assault and the celebrations that followed Akash’s release from jail and remove them. BJP president JP Nadda, who was also present, made a note.

“The PM in BJP parliamentary party meeting today said any kind of misbehaviour that brings down party’s name is unacceptable. He said that action should be taken if someone has done something wrong. He also said that is applicable on everyone,” BJP MP Rajiv Pratap Rudy said.

PM Modi’s assessment of Akash’s conduct is at sharp variance with that of his father Kailash Vijayvargiya who told reporters yesterday that it wasn’t such a big issue. “Both Akash and IMC (Indore Municipal Commission) commissioner are novices,” the BJP general secretary had said.

Akash was arrested on June 26 after he allegedly hit a municipal officer who was leading a team to demolish a structure which belonged to a BJP worker, with a cricket bat.

Akash Vijayvargiya who spent a few days in jail before getting out on bail, later pledged to follow “Mahatma Gandhi’s path of non-violence” and never pick up a bat “for such an act”.

But Akash Vijayvargiya isn’t the only lawmaker to have landed in the middle of a huge controversy for beating up officials.

Also in Madhya Pradesh, a Bharatiya Janata Party leader and his associates allegedly assaulted the Satna chief municipal officer after he allegedly resisted pressure to hush up financial irregularities.