BJP MP, aides 'assault' toll booth employees in MP

A video purportedly showing former Madhya Pradesh BJP president and MP Nandkumar Singh Chauhan and his aides beating up employees of a toll booth on the Shivpuri- Guna road has gone viral on social media.

No police complaint has been lodged in connection with the alleged incident, police said.

Chauhan's vehicle was stopped Friday evening at the toll plaza located near Purankhedi village, where the employees asked him for his identity proof (to seek exemption for paying toll), Booth Manager Mahendra Singh Tomar told reporters.

MPs and MLAs are exempted from paying toll on national highways.

When asked to show his ID proof, Chauhan, the Lok Sabha MP from Khandwa in Madhya Pradesh, along with his aides, got into a verbal duel with the employees, Tomar said.

The BJP leader and his aides came out of the vehicle and started abusing the booth's security guard, Ajendra Singh, he said.

Chauhan allegedly slapped Ajendra Singh and his aides assaulted another employee Shubhan Dixit, Tomar said.

The manager said Chauhan's aides also broke two walkie-talkie sets of the employees.

No complaint has been lodged in connection with the incident, which was captured in the CCTV cameras of toll booth and circulated on social media, Superintendent of Police Rajesh Hingankar told PTI Saturday.

Chauhan could not be reached for comments despite repeated attempts to call him.

Meanwhile, Madhya Pradesh Congress president Kamal Nath said such incidents are taking place in every district of the BJP-ruled state.

"Such incidents are occurring in every district under the BJP rule. BJP leaders are desperate as people are set to bid farewell to the ruling party in the upcoming assembly elections," Nath said.

The assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh will be held on November 28 this year.