Abuse of power by people in authority is not a new phenomenon as the people who are supposed to stand for the nation and protect it, do not cease to disappoint us. From a BJP leader assaulting a school principal for money, to police officers harassing a citizen to remove her from the road, we have seen it all.
There are seldom incidents when people who are abused by people in power retaliate. This is one of those cases. Congress MLA Asha Kumari was reportedly denied entry in Rahul Gandhi’s review meeting by a police constable in Shimla.
Following this, she got agitated and to the shock of everyone slapped the lady constable. However, the lady constable did not take it lying down and slapped her right back. But the MLA did not back down and attacked her again after which the others intervened.
You can watch the entire video here:
#WATCH Shimla: Congress MLA Asha Kumari assaults woman constable, gets slapped back. She was being allegedly denied entry by Police in Rahul Gandhi’s review meeting (amateur video) pic.twitter.com/puvMRnHKss
— ANI (@ANI) December 29, 2017
There was much outrage about the whole slap fest fiasco and the MLA soon issued an apology regarding her actions.
She( woman constable) abused me and pushed me, she should have shown restrain, I am her mother's age, but yes I agree I should not have lost my temper. I apologize: Asha Kumari,Congress pic.twitter.com/cawhktpL5i
— ANI (@ANI) December 29, 2017
“She abused me and pushed me, she should have shown restrain, I am her mother’s age, but yes I agree I should not have lost my temper. I apologize.”
As reported by Indian Express, Rahul Gandhi, the President of the Congress Party also condemned the MLA’s actions and said,
“I am not happy at it. This is no way. No one has a right to raise hand against someone, at least not the Congress culture. I will not tolerate indiscipline in the party.”
After considerable backlash, she also took to Twitter and clarified the situation calling it an act of self-defence. She wrote,
The constable on duty first denied entry in my own party’s program despite of reading the pass and then used abusive language and tried to manhandle me to which I reacted in self defence. I have been in public life since last 35 years and have no such unparliamentary history.
— Asha Kumari (@AshaKumariINC) December 29, 2017
No matter what the instigation was, the ladies should not have lost their temper. If a little restraint was exercised the situation could have been avoided.