BJP Lok Sabha Member from Satna, Madhya Pradesh, Ganesh Singh, publicly slapped and humiliated a crane operator from a poor backward community after the crane malfunctioned while he was seated in its man basket during a ‘Rashtriya Ekta Diwas’ event in Satna on Friday. The incident occurred even as PM Narendra Modi, addressing a gathering in Gujarat on the same occasion, highlighted the Union government’s achievements in bias-free governance and welfare of the poor.
The five-time BJP MP’s angry outburst, which was captured on camera, drew sharp criticism from the people, while the opposition Congress also vehemently condemned the incident.
The incident occurred on Friday morning at the Semaria Chowk in Satna city. Ganesh Singh (63) had gone there after taking part in the ‘Run For Unity’ organised to commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
Ganesh Singh was scheduled to garland a statue of Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar at the Semaria Chowk. He sat in the crane’s man basket, which lifted him in the air to enable him to garland the statue.
However, while the crane was bringing Ganesh Singh down, it stopped abruptly and got stuck mid-air for a few moments. When it resumed operation, a sudden jerk caused it to move unevenly as it brought him back to the ground.
An enraged Ganesh Singh, still seated in the man basket, summoned the crane operator, identified as Ganesh Kushwaha.
Kushwaha rushed towards Singh and began apologising, but Singh first scolded him in front of onlookers before slapping him on the cheek in full public view.
Another BJP leader standing beside Ganesh Singh could be seen smiling as Singh slapped the crane operator.
According to information from sources, crane operator Ganesh Kushwaha is a worker with the Satna Municipal Corporation. The hydraulic crane belonged to the Municipal Corporation’s Electrical Branch.
Ganesh Kushwaha belongs to the Other Backward Classes (OBC).
Ganesh Singh’s act drew sharp criticism from the public.
The opposition Congress also severely criticised Ganesh Singh.
MP Congress spokesperson Abhinav Baroliya said that the BJP MP’s actions were a stark example of arrogance. The Congress leader averred that the BJP never cares about the poor people. Baroliya charged that the BJP leaders never miss an opportunity to flaunt their superiority and ego.
During his speech at the main event of ‘Rashtriya Ekta Diwas’ on the banks of river Narmada in Gujarat on Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi underlined the Union government’s achievements in bias-free governance, development, and welfare of the poor and the backward classes.