New Delhi, Nov 4 — A controversy has erupted over a video purportedly showing Congress MP Shyamkumar Barve slapping fellow party MP Pratibha Dhanorkar on Wednesday while the two were travelling in a bus to attend the INDIA bloc's rally at Delhi's Ramlila Maidan, drawing criticism from Union Minister Ramdas Athawale and Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Nirupam.
Reacting to the incident, Union Minister Athawale termed the alleged act 'unacceptable' and said the Congress should respect women.
"Congress leader slapping a woman is absolutely wrong. The Congress party should respect women, but its actions do not reflect that sentiment. Slapping a woman is unacceptable, and the person who did so should apologise. Raising a hand against women is never acceptable," the Union Minister told IANS.
However, Dhanorkar dismissed the controversy surrounding the video, describing the exchange between the two MPs as a casual interaction in a lighter vein and saying there was no ill intent involved.
In a statement shared on social media, she said an ordinary interaction with a fellow MP, whom she considers like a brother, during their journey to the rally was being portrayed misleadingly and circulated for political purposes.
"An incident that occurred very simply and naturally with a fellow MP, who is like a brother to me, while en route to that movement, is today being made viral on social media with a highly distorted mentality and in a wrongful manner. I strongly condemn this twisting and misuse for political gain of that simple incident, in which there was absolutely no ill intent," she added.
Dhanorkar alleged that political opponents were attempting to malign her reputation by taking the incident out of context.
"In politics, when opponents have nothing left to say about merit and work, they resort to this attempt to tarnish the character of a female public representative and drag her through the mud. But I too am the tigress of the late MP Balubhau Dhanorkar, and his teachings, his inspiration, and his blessings are always with me. Therefore, I will not be cowed down by such malicious propaganda; instead, I will stand even more firmly and courageously," she added.
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Nirupam also criticised the incident, describing the video as 'objectionable' and questioning the treatment meted out to the woman MP.
"This video is highly objectionable. Congress leaders should be ashamed after watching it. The video is from November 1, during the journey of Congress MPs by bus to and from the rally organised by the Congress and other opposition parties at Delhi's Ramlila Maidan to save democracy and the Constitution. It shows a Congress MP assaulting another woman MP, whom I believe to be Pratibha Dhanorkar," Nirupam told IANS.
He said that Dhanorkar's dignity as a woman public representative had been compromised and described the incident as shameful.
"Both Barve and Dhanorkar are MPs from Maharashtra's Vidarbha region. Dhanorkar was elected to the Lok Sabha from Chandrapur following the death of her husband and former MP Balubhau Dhanorkar," Nirupam said.
The video and the contrasting reactions have triggered a political exchange, with some leaders condemning the alleged act while Dhanorkar herself said that the interaction was harmless and had been misrepresented.