New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is learnt to have called for action against MLA Akash Vijayvargiya who was recently arrested arrested for assaulting a civic officer, and also those who celebrated the BJP MLA’s release. BJP’s Madhya Pradesh disciplinary committee chief has however said he won’t believe the PM made any such statement unless he is given proof.

Vijayvargiya, a legislator from Indore and son of BJP national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya, was booked, arrested, and then released on bail last week after he was caught on camera assaulting an Indore Municipal Corporation officer during a drive to demolish a building at the risk of collapse in monsoon rains. His release was celebrated by local BJP workers, and PM Modi reportedly took a strong note of the entire episode.

Speaking at the BJP’s parliamentary party meeting Tuesday, Modi is said to have called for action against Vijayvargiya, without naming him, as well as those within the party’s Madhya Pradesh unit who celebrated his release.

However, the state disciplinary committee chief, Babu Singh Raghuvanshi, dismissed reports about the PM’s reproval, saying there was no video or transcript of his address in the public domain.

“In the absence of concrete proof, how can we ascertain the veracity of the statement being attributed to him and how can anyone comment on it?” Raghuvanshi told ThePrint.

“It is still not known exactly what was said at the meet. Quite often, the meaning of a quote changes in its interpretation. We are only getting media reports about what was said at the meet. I do not have any official information regarding this,” he said.

“Until I receive it (the statement), it would not be fair to comment or act on it,” Raghuvanshi said, adding, “BJP state president Rakesh Singh might have been present at the meet as he is also an MP. If something like this has been said, he will surely let me know.”

“No such matter has been referred to me so far,” he claimed. “We follow a set process… First the state party chief will refer the case to me. After that, I will hear complaints from both sides, and a decision will be taken after that.”

The BJP leader also sought to defend Akash’s conduct. The MLA was deliberately provoked, he said, adding, “He must have done all this because he was agitated.”

Also read: Modi pulls up Akash Vijayvargiya for assault on Indore civic officer

No action on Pragya Thakur

The BJP’s central disciplinary committee, meanwhile, is yet to take up the matter pertaining to MP Pragya Singh Thakur, who sparked national outrage by terming Mahatma Gandhi’s assassin Nathuram Godse a “patriot”.

The BJP had referred the matter to the disciplinary committee on 17 May. The committee, which was virtually defunct until 4 June, was expected to submit its report within 10 days, but no decision has been taken so far.

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