Satna BJP MP slaps municipal worker as crane hoisting him gets stuck midair

Satna (MP), Oct 31 (PTI) Satna MP Ganesh Singh was on Friday seen slapping a crane operator as the machine got stuck with the BJP leader sitting in its basket during a Rashtriya Ekta Diwas event here.

The five-term member of the Lok Sabha, however, denied that he slapped the operator, even though a video of the incident went viral.

The crane was used to hoist the MP so that he could garland a statue of Dr B R Ambedkar at Semaria Chowk in Satna city in the morning after taking part in the 'Run For Unity' organised on the occasion of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's 150th birth anniversary.

While it was bringing the MP down, the crane suddenly stopped midair before it started again with a jerk and appeared to tilt.

As it came down, an angry Ganesh Singh was seen pulling operator Ganesh Kushwaha's hand even before getting out, and slapping him.

When contacted, the 63-year-old MP denied that he assaulted the operator.

"I have not slapped anyone, I just scolded him. It is a `tamasha' (drama) created by the Congress people," he told PTI over phone.

Kushwaha works with the Satna Municipal Corporation, local sources said, adding that the hydraulic crane belongs to the civic body.

The crane, which had the capacity to hoist two people, was carrying four persons including the MP, they said.

Madhya Pradesh Congress media coordinator Abhinav Barolia said the BJP leader's actions reflected arrogance, and the saffron party does not care about the poor. PTI LAL MAS KRK