The BJP has sacked its councillor Shiv Sharma from Gondia, who on Saturday brutally assaulted local Congress MLA Gopaldas Agrawal in full public view.
The Congress has raised questions over the law and order situation in the state. Mr Sharma, whom the police is looking for, has reportedly gone underground.
According to reports, Mr Agrawal, who is also the chairman of Public Accounts Committee of the state legislature, was attacked by the BJP councillor and his associate on Saturday.
At the time of the incident, the MLA was holding a press conference in a hotel in Gondia. Mr Sharma, who is a nominated BJP councillor of Gondia Municipal Council, barged into the press conference and started beating up
the MLA and his son without even saying a word. The attack left Mr Gopaldas bleeding from his nose. He received injuries on his nose and face.
Though there were other local Congress leaders present at the PC, they were so shocked that none of them even moved. It was only after Mr Sharma and his associate left the venue that one of the Congress leaders informed the police about the incident.
The BJP has sacked Mr Sharma by saying that his act was against the party’s principles. BJP spokesperson Madhav Bhandari said, “Appropriate action will be taken in the case.”
Even state finance minister Sudhir Mungantiwar expressed his displeasure over the incident.
The Congress and NCP have targeted the BJP over the incident. Congress leader Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil said that the law and order situation has deteriorated in the state under the BJP rule and the attack on the MLA was another example of it.
NCP leader Dhananjay Munde said that the BJP has not been able to handle the fact that they are in power and its member behave as if they are going to remain in power forever.
Reacting to the attack on him, Mr Agrawal said, “It is true that law and order does not exist in Maharashtra under the BJP rule and even an MLA is not safe. I was attacked because I was raising the issue of corruption in the municipal council.”
