A screen grab of the viral video

BHOPAL: An IAS officer posted as collector in Rajgarh district of Madhya Pradesh got so furious while trying to manage law and order situation during a pro-CAA rally in her area that she slapped a local BJP spokesperson in full public view. Her slap, that was caught on camera, went viral on social media.

BJP workers were taking out the rally in Biaora town in violation of section 144 imposed in the district.

Police had to resort to lathicharge, injuring three people, to control the situation.

This was the second such incident in which the collector – Nidhi Nivedita -- had lost her temper. In one of the previous incidents, she had hogged headlines by making a panchayat secretary do sit-ups as punishment when she was posted as CEO district panchayat in Singrauli district in 2016.

Apart from collector, another female officer also slapped a protester, subsequently she was manhandled, kicked and even someone pulled her hairs.

Section 144 was imposed in the district on Saturday by district collector, banning all the rallies, processions etc. Despite the ban, BJP workers led by former MLAs Amar Singh Yadav, Mohan Sharma and district president of BJP Dilbar Singh Yadav, took out a ‘tiranga yatra’ in support of CAA in Biaora town on Sunday.

Hundreds of workers gathered despite the administration asking them to refrain from taking out any procession as section 144 is imposed. In presence of police district collector, Nidhi Nivedita took control of the situation.

Meanwhile, in another video, a female officer is seen slapping a worker, and workers are also seen misbehaving with her and pulling her hair. A worker also kicked her.

District collector Nidhi Nivedita said that the protesters had taken law in their hands and were assaulting lady officers which led to the incident.

“If people are trying to take law in their hands and they think they are above law, I have been deputed as district collector to upheld law in the district. They had taken out rally despite section 144 was imposed. They took law to be extinct and are seen assaulting women and a female officer on duty, I cannot let the morale of my people down by letting them do whatever they want to do”, Nidhi Nivedita told TOI.

She added, “There is a video of the worker who misbehaved with the lady officer. He has been identified and a case is being registered against him”.

“Apart from it, so far around 121 people have been identified who violated section 144 and a case under section 188 is being registered against them,” she said.

The man who was slapped by the collector says, “The behavior of officer was unbelievable”.

“I was telling the collector that CAA has been cleared by president of India, but the way that you are behaving and trying to pull someone is wrong. It was then that she slapped me. It was unbelievable, talks were going on. She is district collector and a female we were respecting her but...”, BJP district media cell in-charge, Ravi Barone who was slapped by collector told TOI.

“There was section 144 imposed around 16 hours ago, but we had gathered at a temple and were just trying to take out a peaceful ‘tiranga yatra’,” he said.

“Two of our workers Deep Kamal Sharma and Vikas Karode were injured so grievously that they have been referred to Bhopal for treatment in the police lathicharge,” Barone said.

Meanwhile, police had registered two separate FIRs.

“Two separate FIRs have been registered. One under section 354 (molestation) on the complaint of a female officer that she was kicked, her hair were pulled by a worker. We have identified the accused. Second FIR is registered for violation of section 144. So far 121 people have been identified and booked,” SP Rajgarh Pradeep Sharma told TOI.

He added, “We took action as prescribed in the law for bringing the situation under control”.

In Video: On cam: IAS officer slaps BJP worker during pro-CAA rally