Daijiworld Media Network
Ahmedabad, Jun 3: In a turn of events, the woman trashed by BJP MLA Balram Thawani, tied rakhi to her assaulter and called him, her brother.
The Naroda constituency MLA was caught on camera hitting and kicking Neetu Tejwani who supports Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) during a protest in Ahmedabad. The video which went viral became a major embarrassment for the BJP.
However, now it seems the lawmaker has handled the issue and posed for photos with Tejwani tying him rakhi on Monday.
"She is like my sister. I have apologized to her for what happened yesterday," Balram Thawani told reporters.
In the video that shocked the nation, Thawani can be seen slapping and kicking the woman who is already under attack by another man.
Tejwani told reporters that she had approached the MLA’s brother Kishore Thawani, who is a local corporator, requesting him to not cut water supply of her locality in Naroda. As there was no response from him, she stood outside the MLA’s office along with other women as protest.
“As I shouted slogans against Kishore Thawani, Balram who arrived in a vehicle slapped and kicked me. He hit me with a stick,” she had earlier told media. She also filed a complaint against her attacker.
Meanwhile, Balram who initially tried to defend himself saying he acted in 'self defence’ apologized later on saying he was swayed by emotions and did not hit her intentionally.
He later visited Tejwani with rakhi and sweets and apologized. After posing for photos, the lawmaker said that he has cleared misunderstandings with Tejwani and promised her help.
“He said that he treats me as his sister and as an elder brother, he slapped me. He had no wrong intentions. I consider him as my brother,” Neetu was quoted telling media after tying ‘rakhi’.
However, NCP is not convinced with the ‘apology’ and the ‘rakhi ceremony’. NCP’s MLA Nawab Malik said that a case has to registered and the Naroda MLA has to be arrested. “This is not a small matter and apology won’t do. The law should take its course,” he told media.