Nadda condemns assault on NHAI official by Himachal minister

Bilapsur (HP), Jul 5 (PTI) Condemning the assault on an NHAI official allegedly by a Himachal minister, Union Health Minister and BJP national President J P Nadda on Saturday said the incident "exposed" the state government's way of handling the law and order situation.

Nadda's statement comes after the BJP sought intervention by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in this matter.

"What would happen to people when those supposed to protect the law take matters into their own hands?" Nadda asked while interacting with media personnel here.

The incident occurred on Monday when Panchayati Raj Minister Anirudh Singh was inspecting a building collapse site in Bhatta Kuffar in his assembly constituency of Kasumpti in the suburbs of Shimla, and called the NHAI officials to the location.

The building's owner claimed negligence by the NHAI (National Highways Authority of India) and the company involved in the four-lane project. Later in the evening, the NHAI officials alleged that the minister beat them up inside the room.

On Tuesday, Singh was booked for wrongful restraint, voluntarily causing hurt, criminal force to deter a public servant while performing his duty and intentional insult, after NHAI employee, Jindal, alleged in his complaint that he and his site engineer, Yogesh, were called to a room by Singh and beaten up.

In his complaint, Jindal alleged that when he apprised the minister that the collapsed building was 30 metres away from the National Highway Right of way (ROW) and that damages outside the NH-ROW would be dealt with as per the notification of the Himachal Pradesh Government, the minister started using foul language, called him and Yogesh to a room, assaulted them and even hit him with a vessel containing water.

Singh denied the allegations and said that "the FIR does not mean that I am guilty." He also claimed widespread irregularities in road construction works by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) and called its officials the "most corrupt in the country".

"Nothing happened, there has been no assault and an attempt has been made to divert the attention of people from negligence of NHAI resulting in the collapse of a five storey building here in Bhatta Kuffar on Monday", he added.

Ranjana Verma, the owner of the collapsed building, registered a case of endangering life and mischief causing damage to property against the NHAI and against the company engaged in the four-laning of a road.

Two more cases were registered against the NHAI officials by residents for wrongful restraint, endangering life or personal safety of others, intentional hurt and criminal liability of several people. PTI COR BPL MPL MPL