Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Surendra Patwa in Madhya Pradesh was caught on camera threatening and abusing a police officer on poll duty for purportedly turning the mic off at a public rally addressed by former chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
The incident occurred in the Bhojpur Assembly segment of the Vidisha parliamentary constituency, where Chouhan was addressing a poll rally. As the clock struck 10 pm, the stipulated deadline for daily campaigning, a police officer on duty reportedly switched off the microphone in compliance with the Model Code of Conduct (MCC).
In a video that is making rounds on social media platforms, Chouhan can be heard angrily telling the MLA present on the stage to get him out of there.
“Hatao is ko waha see (remove him from there),” Chouhan is heard saying. In respose, Patwa is seen scolding the officer “10-minute ha abi gaddi mai, idar aa, aesi jag ha fenkunga jaha se waps he nahi aa pawo ge … (10 minutes are left, come here, you will be thrown to such a place that it wouldn’t be possible to return).”
As soon the video went viral on social media, the Congress swiftly complained to the Election Commission of India (ECI), urging action against the former Chief Minister for violating the Model Code of Conduct.
Taking to a microblogging site X, MP Congess while sharing the video wrote: “Look at the arrogance of BJP former chief minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan. He raised questions from the BJP platform on the implementation of the election code of conduct and Surendra Patwa misbehaved and threatened the police officer. Mr Shivraj, this is the level of a former Chief Minister? Extremely indecent and condemnable act.”