BJD MP slaps party worker in public, regrets the act later

In an embarrassment for the ruling BJD headed by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, an MP was seen in a viral video slapping a party worker at a public meeting in Odisha's Gajapati district.

The incident took place on Tuesday when BJD MP from Berhampur- Chandrasekhar Sahu- was caught slapping a party worker at a function when he had come to receive an "angabastra" from him.

The worker has been identified as Sangram Sahu, who had recently joined the BJD after resigning as Gajapati district Youth Congress president.

Faced with widespread criticism over the incident, the MP termed it as an "in-house" issue.

The 69-year-old Lok Sabha MP, however, said: "I regret for my action in public. I have not slapped him. In an attempt to discipline Sangram who refused to receive 'angabastra' from an another leader, I pushed his face."
The Berhampur MP and former Union Minister further said: "It may be a bad time for me for which, I lost temper in public. I should not get angry in Sangram's refusal of receiving 'angabastra' from another senior leader in the meeting."