Bhopal, Sep 15 (PTI) Tribal MLA Panchilal Meda of the Congress broke down in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly complex while alleging his shirt was torn by legislators of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday inside the House – a charge denied by Speaker Girish Gautam.
Besides, the MLA claimed a threat to his life from a BJP lawmaker and the state government.
On this, Gautam told PTI that every legislator has a gunman with him and thus he does not face a threat to life.
“If he wants more security he should approach the home minister,” the Speaker said.
After the monsoon session of the Assembly was adjourned sine die in the afternoon two days ahead of schedule, Meda came out of the House with his short torn.
Talking to reporters, the tribal MLA said “The people of the government (BJP legislators) have torn my shirt” and broke down.
The opposition legislator from Dhar district alleged he faces a threat to his life from BJP MLA Umakant Sharma and the state government.
“I am fighting for tribal farmers and that is why my voice is being stifled. I will ask the Assembly Speaker and the state government for security,” he said.
“In the House I am being threatened. Police beat me up,” Meda alleged.
Asked about the charge that he had pulled BJP MLA Sharma by his collar the previous day, the Congress leader refuted the claim strongly.
“I did not do anything like that. In fact, he (Sharma) held me by the collar and pushed me,” he alleged.
“At that time I was going to meet Home Minister Narottam Mishra in the House and tell him what had happened to me at the gate of the Assembly,” he said.
The Congress MLA said he was stopped at the Assembly complex’s gate by a security guard who, he alleged, pushed him, broke his hand and also tore his clothes on Wednesday.
Meda said after the alleged incident he went to lodge a complaint with the Assembly Speaker.
“Thereafter, I went to the Home Minister’s seat in the House to show him proof of the incident. In the meantime, Umakant pushed me and tried to throttle me,” he claimed.
Meda said he was meted out inhuman treatment at the Assembly gate as he had spoken about the breach in the Karam dam in Dhar district last month.
He said more than 500 families displaced by the breach in the Karam dam were living in thatched houses in jungles. Forest department officials were driving them out of their houses built on forest land.
Earlier, Meda, during the Zero Hour, marched to the Speaker’s chair with his shirt unbuttoned and said security personnel had misbehaved with him on Wednesday and wanted justice. Other Congress MLAs joined him.
Before him, Sharma (BJP), with folded hands, went close to the well of the House during the Question Hour and requested the Speaker to provide him security.
The Speaker told the House an investigation ordered by him revealed there was no truth in Meda’s charges that he was pushed and his shirt torn by security personnel at the Assembly building gate on Wednesday.
When contacted on Thursday night, Speaker Gautam said, “He (Meda) himself tore off his shirt in the Assembly today. All saw it. His partymen and he tore off the shirt.” “Complaints of two people – Meda and Umakant – have come to me and they have sought security. As the Assembly session has ended, they should approach the Home Minister,” the Speaker said. PTI LAL RSY RSY
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