india

Updated: Mar 27, 2019 01:32 IST

A woman lodged complaint of assault against the state agriculture minister Randhir Singh at Karmatand police station in Jamtara district, around 180-km south from capital Ranchi, on Tuesday.

Pinky Kumari, Zila Parishad member from Sarath in Deoghar district, alleged that the BJP minister abused, slapped repeatedly and broke her eyeglasses amid hundreds of villagers during a religious function at Kalajharia village.

The minister, however, denied the allegation terming it ‘political conspiracy’ against him. BJP workers also lodged a counter complaint at the same police station.

Jamtara sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) Arvind Upadhyay said, “The complaints were lodged by both the parties against each other. We will investigate the matter and then lodge an FIR.”

Kumari said she was at the religious event on villagers’ invitation and when she was about to pick Kalash (metal pot) to participate in the religious procession, minister’s workers came and asked her to leave the place.

“They said the function was being organized by the minister. I told them that won’t leave the place until villagers ask me to go. Then, they called up the minister. The minister came and started abusing me. He slapped me repeatedly and broke my eyeglasses. Then he left the place following the protest from the villagers,” she alleged.

Kumari’s younger brother Rahul Kumar, who was along with her during the incident, said, “My sister had been preparing to contest upcoming assembly polls. She was on field visit to the village two days back where the villagers invited her for their annual religious function held on Tuesday. But, it did not go well with the BJP workers.”

“This is a political stunt to defame me. Actually, the lady slapped me and held my collar,” Singh said. Singh, BJP legislator from Sarath, said, “Like every year, I participated in the religious event. When I was walking in the procession along with others, I found few committee members arguing with each other. I went to stop them. She suddenly came and started alleging me that I was creating an uproar. She held my collar. When I requested to leave her, she slapped me.”