Social media outraged by Thavani's brazen act.
A video of Balram Thawani, BJP MLA from Naroda constituency in Ahmedabad city became viral on social media where Thawani is seen kicking a women. The women had supposedly come to meet Thawani at his office to complain about scarcity of water and the incident happened just outside the office. The lady has been identified as NCP leader Nitu Tejwani.
The video shows a group of people beating the lady, who falls on the ground. Thawani is seen kicking Tejwani. Later, Thawani gave his side of the story to Zee Kalak and said that he acted in 'self-defence' and kicked the lady inadvertently.
Acted in self-defence, lady got hit accidentally: Gujarat MLA Thawani after kicking video goes viral https://t.co/J5RROXD05j pic.twitter.com/eA1LhXjCvD
— DNA (@dna) June 3, 2019
Thawani was earlier a corporator from Naroda ward of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation. In 2017, he was nominated from Naroda constituency of state legislative. Thawani had won by a comfortable margin. Many people on social media are outraged by this issue and have requested Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani and BJP President Amit Shah to take action against the errant MLA.
The MLA though after initially saying sorry has now put out an elaborate explanation of what prompted his rather unparliamentary action. Already Jignesh Mevani and other political leaders have condemned Thawani's brazen act. Thawani said, “I talked to them and asked them to come and meet me on Monday at 11AM as it was a Sunday and there was nothing i could do. A crowd had gheraoed me, and while I was talking someone from the crowd hit me from behind,” said Thawani. He said soon a stampede like situation followed and everyone tried to get out of the office in a rush. “Everyone was trying to save themselves and so was I . Emma Lat lagi gayi hashe (In the melee a kick or punch would have landed on the woman),” said Thawani. He also dubbed the incident as 'pre-planned'.
NCP leader Tejwani has filed police complaint against the MLA.
However, as public pressure increased Thawani again changed tact and said that he did a mistake and will apologise for it.
1. 'Slapped me even before hearing'
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Nitu Tejwani, NCP leader from Naroda told ANI : I had gone to meet BJP MLA Balram Thawani over a local issue but even before hearing me he slapped me, when I fell down he started to kick me. His people also beat up my husband. I ask Modi ji, how are women safe under the BJP rule?
2. MLA tries to shift blame
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Naroda BJP MLA Balram Thawani said that a video that shows him kicking a woman who had come to complaint of water woes in her area was a result of ‘self defence’
In an interview to Zee Kalak, Thawani admitted that a kick might have landed on the woman but that it happened while he was trying to save himself from attack by the woman and her husband.
He said that a group of 50 women and 20 men had come to his office to talk about water problems in the area. “I talked to them and asked them to come and meet me on Monday at 11 AM as it was a Sunday and there was nothing i could do. A crowd had gheraoed me, and while I was talking someone from the crowd hit me from behind,” said Thawani.
He said soon a stampede-like situation followed and everyone tried to get out of the office in a rush. “Everyone was trying to save themselves and so was I. Emma Lat lagi gayi hashe (In the melee a kick or punch would have landed on the woman),” said Thawani.
He said the woman in question and her husband are with the NCP and had earlier picked up a fight with his brother who is a corporator. “This was a corporation matter yet because they are residents of my constituency I came on a Sunday to hear them out. But they turned violent. It was a pre-planned effort,” Thawani said.
3. Thawani's latest statement
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Gujarat BJP MLA was quoted by ANI as saying on Monday morning, "I got swayed by emotions,I accept the mistake, it was not intentional. I have been in politics for last 22 years,such thing has never happened before. I will say sorry to her".
