Congress MLA Brihaspat Singh has found himself in hot water after videos of him purportedly hitting two bank employees in Chhattisgarh went viral on social media. The incident, which allegedly occurred on Monday, has sparked outrage among staff at cooperative banks under the Surguja division, with employees announcing mass leave for two days from Wednesday in protest.
According to a report by news agency PTI, Singh reportedly assaulted the workers of a cooperative bank in Balrampur-Ramanujganj district due to complaints of financial discrepancies and misbehaviour. In a statement, the Ramanujganj MLA admitted to thrashing the employees of the Ramanujganj branch of the Zilla Sahkari Kendriya Bank, stating that a 70-year-old farmer who had come to withdraw money at the bank faced misconduct.
However, a group of employees has submitted a memorandum addressed to chief minister Bhupesh Baghel and the Inspector General of Police (Surguja range) in Ambikapur town seeking action against Singh. The notice alleges that Singh slapped and abused clerk Rajesh Pal and peon Arvind Singh in front of hundreds of farmers during office hours.
President of Zilla Sahkari Kendriya Bank Karamchari Sangh Ambikapur, R K Khare, has expressed disappointment and outrage over the incident. He stated that it is the responsibility of public representatives to protect government employees and their interests. If they themselves start torturing them, he questioned, where will they go? Khare also warned that the employees will stage protests if no action was initiated against Singh.
The opposition BJP has also called for the step down of Singh as MLA, with state BJP spokesperson Kedar Kashyap telling PTI that the Congress party should immediately take action against Singh for committing such a violent act. He further added that Singh should be dismissed from the post of MLA.
As this incident continues to unfold, many are watching to see what action will be taken against the Congress MLA, with the incident highlighting the need for public representatives to respect government employees and their interests.
