Lucknow: A minister in the Samajwadi Party government of Uttar Pradesh first slapped a party worker, who complained of hooliganism, and then punched him at a meeting in Varanasi.
Surendra Patel, state minister for Public Works Department (PWD), Monday evening slapped the party worker in full public view.
The incident happened at a party meeting in Varanasi while the minister was listening to problems being raised by party supporters.
When confronted by the worker on the high-handedness and hooliganism of some of the party members, the minister lunged towards him.
He first tried to gag him and then slapped him, following it up with a punch.
Patel, who is the junior minister and a close associate of PWD Minister Shivpal Singh Yadav, warned the worker, following which he apologised with folded hands.
It was caught on television cameras.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesman Vijay Bahadur Pathak criticised the minister, saying that the arrogance of the minister with his own workers and supporters was reflective of the malice in the Akhilesh Yadav government.
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