A video of Naroda BJP MLA Balram Thawani kicking a woman after she had fallen on the ground went viral on Sund... Read More

AHMEDABAD: A video of Naroda BJP MLA Balram Thawani kicking a woman — a ward-in-charge of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) — after she had fallen on the ground went viral on Sunday. Thawani and his aides are seen beating the woman, Nitu Tejwani, during a scuffle. Apparently, the woman had gone to Thawani’s office in Kubernagar area and threatened to sit on dharna outside his office if two days time was not given to some affected residences and offices before their water supply line was cut. The local BJP councillor, Balaram’s brother Kishor Thawani had last week gone to supervise the disconnection of an allegedly illegal water connection near Maya Cinema, from where the dispute had started. Allegedly, Kishor had heckled a person who was shooting a video of his actions.

Thawani did not deny that the incident had taken place. “I had not intended to do so, but I was heckled by a group and while defending myself, I kicked her by mistake,” Thawani said. The video shows Thawani in an orange kurta kicking the woman. Another person in a white kurta, besides Thawani is seen slapping the woman. Allegedly Nitu’s husband, Rajesh Tejwani was also heckled by Thawani’s men.

On Sunday, Nitu had gone to meet Thawani and had decided to sit on a dharna outside his office. “I had gone there to seek two days’ time from the MLA before the water supply line was cut,” said Nitu. “But soon Thawani and his men resorted to force to evict us. We were slapped , some even came with hockey sticks. I felt humiliated,” she said.

DCP Zone 4 Neeraj Badgujar told TOI, “I have seen the video on a news channel and I am yet to receive a formal a complaint in this issue.”

Thawani, however, said that he had already requested the Meghaninagar police inspector for intervention as the woman and 25 others had planned to sit on a dharna outside his office. “I had already informed Meghaninagar PI regarding the protest,” Thawani said.

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In Video: Ahmedabad: MLA kicks woman after she falls on the ground, video goes viral