Gujarat BJP lawmaker apologises for kicking woman, she ties him rakhi

Ahmedabad, June 03: Gujarat Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Balram Thawani was caught on camera kicking and thrashing a local NCP woman leader, who approached him for resuming water supply to her locality in Ahmedabad district.

The incident which took place on Sunday near Thawani's office in Naroda was caught on camera by people present at the spot.

The BJP leader posed for photos with her tying a rakhi on him today. "She is like my sister, I have apologized to her for what happened yesterday," Balram Thawani told reporters.

A purported video of the incident went viral on social media, Thawani can be seen stepping out of his office and then kicking and thrashing the woman who is already under attack by another man whose back is turned towards the camera.

"The MLA was not in the office. But his supporters started abusing me," the woman said narrating her ordeal. "We shouted slogans against Kishore Thawani.

Soon, Balram bhai arrived in a vehicle, came out, snatched the mobile phone from my hand and slapped me very hard. I fell down, after which he started kicking me. They hit me with a stick," she said.

"He kicked me in the stomach and put his boots on my face. There were six-seven more people. When my husband tried to stop him, his men came out from the office and started thrashing my husband," the woman said.

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) also condemned the incident. The woman, Neetu Tejwani, told reporters the MLA slapped her so hard that she fell down, following which he started kicking and thrashing her.

A few days ago, the woman said, she had approached the BJP MLA's brother, Kishore Thawani, who is a local corporator, with the request to not disconnect the water supply of her locality in Naroda town as the legal process to restore it was underway.

She claimed the corporator, too, abused and hit her. Tejwani said when no action was taken even after four-five days, she went to the MLA's office in Meghani Nagar area of Ahmedabad city, along with other women of her locality.

Following an uproar, the legislator apologised for his action and claimed that he was attacked by the group when he was telling them to meet him on Monday.

Thawani said he went to the woman's residence to seek apology, claiming that she had tied 'rakhi' on his wrist and pardoned him.

"I apologised and we have resolved the issue. I told my sister (Tejwani) to pardon me for my action. I've promised her that I will stand by her," he said. "It happened unintentionally. I did not intend to harm or insult anyone. I will rectify the mistake and will even say sorry to her," the MLA said.