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M Jagannath, the Congress MP from Nagarkurnool, said he was "sorry" for the incident in Mahabubnagar district on Monday but denied having slapped the manager.
The MP claimed his hand only touched the cheek of Ravinder Reddy, a manager of a AP Grameen Vikas bank branch, when he tried to put it round his shoulder.
Employees of the Grameen banks in the Congress-ruled state were up in arms and staged protests in several districts and stopped disbursal of loans under government schemes. The bank branch where the incident happened has threatened to go on strike from Thursday.
Police booked a case against the MP on charges of assault and use of criminal force to deter a public servant from discharge of his duty and said investigation was on.
"We have booked the case on various charges like assault. Investigation is on," a police official said.
The manager claimed he was manhandled and his shirt torn. Congress spokesman Manish Tiwari said in New Delhi that Veerappa Moily, the party in-charge of AP, has ordered an inquiry. The state PCC was directed to look into the incident and submit a report, he said.
Describing the incident as regrettable and unfortunate, Tiwari said there are in-house mechanisms to deal with the incident after a report is submitted but refused to speculate what action could be taken against the MP.
He said prima facie it appears (on tape) that what was shown perhaps happened. "He challenged me to come to the bank. I wanted to put my hand on his shoulder but he pulled back. In the process, my hand happened to touch his cheek," Jagannath said in Hyderabad trying to suggest that if there was anything physical it was by mistake.
He said he did not intend to slap the bank manager who, he claimed was not disbursing loan amounts to the SC/ST beneficiaries.
The MP, who said he will meet party president Sonia Gandhi on Thursday, claimed he was treated with disrespect because he was a Dalit.
The MP alleged that the manager gave an improper reply when he called him up during a meeting of the mandal officials and public representatives to find out the reasons for not distributing the loans.
The AP Regional Rural Banks Employees Association (APRRBEA) stepped up its protests in eight districts of the state, where it operates.
"We are organising protests in 8 districts. Other PSU banks like SBI, Andhra Bank have expressed solidarity with us. We are submitting a memorandum to the Mahabubnagar district Collector," an Association spokesman said.
Describing the incident as "most unfortunate", Law Minister M Veerappa Moily said he did not think anybody, more so a member of Parliament, could indulge in such an act.
"It is most unfortunate. I don't think anybody should indulge in such things...Members of Parliament should be more responsible and he should not have done it," Moily said in New Delhi.
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Mps like this who think that 'politicians can get away with any sort of highhandeness must be severely dealt with by the public, not the courts. Being criminals themselves, they understand only that language.
Politicians are expected to be role models. the accused being a MP must be politite. Bank managers are responsible officers who have to save the bank's interest and peotect the finance of the bank. He has to reduce NPAs and get proper evaluation before sanctioning loans. THE action of MP is hightly condemnable.B S GANESH, BANGALORE
I condemn the act by the MP, whatever the reason may be. as he has no right to take the law into his hands. BUT THE TRUTH IS THAT MANY OF THE BANKs (MANAGERS) ARE MAKING THE PEOPLE RUN HERE AND THERE FOR A SINGLE LOAN. THEY WILL NOT TELL YOU CLEARLY WHAT ARE THE DOCUMANTS NEEDED FOR THE SANCTION OF THE PAPER. WHEN WE ARE READY WITH THE PAPER THEY ALREADY ASKED....THEY WILL PUT ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENT.....LEADING TO BRIBE GIVING...IF YOU ARE NOT GIVING ...IT WILL BE DELAYED FOR MANY DAYS....THIS IS A FACT I AM FACING...BUT I WILL NOT BRIBE....THEY WILL CHARGE THE SAME LIKE LAWERS FEES....ETC.
I personnally condemn the acts of the MP. but i have pointed out some bad experience from the banks also. you are not publishing those comments......why?
What do you expect from such Goons..??These guys are uneducateds. That is the reason we are requesting Election commission to make it mandatory minimum qualification should be graduate to contest in election. At the same time, retirement age should be fixed. If they become MP / Minister, they are not god to do whatever they wish. This should be implemented without any further delay else, there should be nation wide protest
when Mr.Varun Gandhi made hate speech, everybody commented against him (including Joker, Mr.Lalu yadav). When such Incident took place, why there is no comments. These type of acts can be done only in congress ruled states. It is proved that Crimes are very high in Delhi, Mumbai, AP. during election time, the same MPs comes to door step begging votes, now they are showing their muscle power. Such persons should be hanged till death without any mercy
It is ad to see and hear incident and the persons related to the offence need to be punished, but the saddest part is wne i was watching this debate on times now, i was more surprised the way the host was handling the issue along with many politicians.The news channels has to know that almost all indians know that politicians are corrupt and not dignified to hold the positions. But the news channels have nowadays have their ethics of reporting and onlu want to score points over the other channels. Nowadays news shannels have bcome unethical in reporting. They do not allow the other individual to talk. They site reasons as time but have enough time to telecast adds.Keen on telecasting the negative stories more than the positive ones.Why not tele news channels take a vote or rating on the percentage of negative against positive news they have reported. They will be horrified to find that have vey negligible positives, if they do away with news on cricket and entertainement.It
Except for few days of hype in media, I do not think there will be ANY CASE against Mr. Jagannath. I will not be surprised to hear or see or read that the very bank manager who received the slap will withdraw his case saying that the MP wanted to put his hand around his shoulder and it touched his cheek. This will be under the influence of money or threatening tactics against his life. Unfortunately, this is how we do business in India an done can get away with murder.
Almost all of these politicians are illiterate and do not know to behave. What else could one expect from them? Bank managers are pretty well respected but this act is deplorable. What action can be taken against the MP? Phew. A warning at the most. I wont be surprised if he is given a clean chit. I saw the video and if it is not doctored, then the MP is clearly lying. This is like the Nazi regime. You dont like somebpdy, just finish him off. This is democracy and yet such people think the laws dont apply to them. SHAME ON SUCH POLITICIANS.
The MP should be expelled from the Lok Sabha and membership of the party immediately.
Congress has ordered enquiry it means they have given clean chit to their MP. He will be happily stay on his post till next elections.
First a Cabinet Minister trying to influence a judge and now a MP slapping a Bank Manager. Is INDIA a banana republic? Yes, this behaviour has been going on since the independance. Our politicians are of the opinion, the LAW DOES NOT APPLY TO THEM. They are above the law, as they are the law makers. Its time people stopped such lawmakers.
What can you expect from these modern-day MPs? Most of them are hooligans, with gangs of thugs to beat up and intimidate opponents and critics alike. Only if the major political parties cleans them selves of these goondas can there be some decency in the political arena, but grabbing and then staying in power is their main objective, improvement is unlikely. Only the public can punish errant politicians.
This what the Congress Party preaches and exhorts, to take the Law in their own hand.How despicable, nobody is bigger than the Law and Order, the scoundrel must be arrested and incarcerated. This is Congress for you,they are good at incubating thugs.
Mrs. Sonia Gandhi had ordered an inquiry but dear readers- maximum output of this inquiry will be a warning to all MP’s and they should not feel themselves above law. Dear readers- please do not expect any actof character from these men in white because there is acute shortage of this substance in WHITE COLOR.Shame and character are not found in Indian politics anymore and I am sure if bank union could do something- we can see some action but again….Delhi do not want to let anything happen to it’s vote bank because minister in uestion comes from SC/ST catagory.I am sure we all remember- how trains are being run in Bihar when Sh. Lalu yadav was railway minister- his brother in law slaps many times, many times forced train to stop where it was not sceduled. Many times we came to know about high headedness of these ministers who had taken pledge to ’serve’ us…that they forced a plane to re-route or land or even wait for them. All these things were acceptable to govt. in delhi.