Mahajan disapproves of BJP MLA's assault on civic officer

Former Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan Monday appeared to disapprove BJP MLA Akash Vijayvargiyas act of assaulting a civic officer with a cricket bat in full public view here last month.

Akash Vijayvargiya, the son of senior BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya, had assaulted an official of the Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) on June 26 during an argument over demolition of a dilapidated building.

The incident, caught on camera, had led to the arrest of the MLA from the Indore-3 Assembly segment. He was released on bail after spending four days in jail.

"Will you all consider this conduct good? When you all dont consider it good, how can I consider it good? Mahajan told reporters when asked about Akash Vijayvargiya's conduct.

"It happens...a mother has twothree children. One does this...other that. But mother gives good teaching to all her children, Mahajan said.

"When a son commits a mistake the first thing that strikes his mothers mind is that had she must have committed some mistake in his upbringing," the veteran BJP leader said.

A wrong can't be defended, said the former Lok Sabha MP from Indore.

"A mother mends ways of her son. She rebukes him when needed. But it is not binding on her that she chides him publicly. What is wrong is wrong," Mahajan said.

Akash Vijayvargiya's conduct had earned the ire of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

At a meeting of the BJP in New Delhi early this month, Modi had given a stern warning to party leaders, saying, arrogance and misbehaviour cannot be tolerated.

According to sources, the PM had said "whoever it may be, whoever's son he may be...such arrogance, misbehaviour cannot be tolerated" and the action should be taken.