Bhopal: BJP national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya’s son, a first-time MLA of the party, was arrested in Indore Wednesday after he assaulted a civic body official with a cricket bat.
The assault by Akash Vijayvargiya, the MLA for Indore 3, and his supporters took place as a team of the Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) arrived at the Ganj Compound area to demolish a house at the risk of collapsing during monsoon rains. Ganj Compound falls within Akash’s constituency.
Akash was caught on camera at the site threatening the officer, identified as Dhirendra Vyas, to “leave within five minutes… or else whatever happens… will be your responsibility”.
The footage further shows Akash’s supporters bearing down on Vyas and another official as they proceed to leave the compound, before punching and slapping them furiously.
An IMC official told ThePrint that the supporters also pelted some IMC vehicles with stones.
Following a complaint filed by Vyas, Akash and 10 others were booked under different sections of the IPC, including those for assault or criminal force to deter a public servant from discharge of their duty, voluntarily causing hurt, criminal intimidation, and rioting.
‘Don’t remember what I did’
Speaking to mediapersons at the MG Road Police Station, where he arrived with his supporters and Indore 2 BJP MLA Ramesh Mendola after the assault, Akash said he didn’t remember what he had done.
“Main gusse mein tha, mujhe nahin pata maine kya kiya (I was angry, I don’t remember what I did),” he said.
He, however, added that he had got angry because the corporation official had “grabbed a woman and abused her”.
According to an eyewitness, the trouble began around noon, when the IMC team arrived to demolish an old house deemed unsafe, a day after monsoon rains started in the city.
Soon afterwards, Akash reached the spot with his supporters and threatened the officials to leave.
While Vyas was on call with his seniors to inform them about the locals’ opposition, Akash started beating up the official with a cricket bat, the eyewitness said.
In the wake of the assault, employees of the corporation launched a strike.
This is an updated version of the report