Slapgate controversy of Indore has snowballed into a major controversy with various employees unions of Indore Municipal Corporation stopping their works on Friday against slapping of an additional commissioner of Indore municipal corporation Rahul Saxena by a supporter of a municipal corporator on Thursday. On account of complete pen down strike by the corporation employees, functioning of the municipal corporation here today came to a grinding halt.
On Friday afternoon, in a complete show of solidarity, all the employees of Indore municipal corporation accompanied by the corporation’s senior officials went on a foot march from Indore municipal corporation premises to the office of the divisional commissioner where they submitted a memorandum to the divisional commissioner Sanjay Dube seeking stringent action against the guilty as well as the municipal corporator involved in the slapgate incident. After accepting memorandum from the IMC employees, divisional commissioner assured them to take necessary action in this regard.
Meanwhile, president of the Indore Municipal Corporation Karmchari Sangh Ramlal Yadav and president of the Indore Municipal Corporation Kaamgaar Sangh today taking a strong exception to the slapgate incident, threatened of completely paralyzing the cleanliness works of the city if stringent action against the guilty person was not taken at the earliest.
On the other hand, slapgate incident has irked the State Administrative Service Association which on Friday submitted a memorandum addressed to Madhya Pradesh Governor, Ram Naresh Yadav and Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan seeking removal of the municipal corporator concerned involved in the incident.
Slapgate row has also unnerved the BJP rank and file in the city. late Thursday night, a number of local BJP leaders met Indore assembly constituency no; 2 MlA Ramesh Mendola and later decided to raise the issue at the party level. The local party leaders have already apprise BJP general secretary Kailash Vijayvergiya about the matter. On the other hand, Indore Mayor Malini Gaud has apparently distanced herself from the row stating that she had already apprised Chief Minister of the matter.
Six persons including a woman BJP corporator from ward no. 31 Saroj Chouhan and her husband were arrested yesterday following a ruckus over closing of service road here during which a person allegedly manhandled a senior official of Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) Rohan Saxena.
The incident took place when a group of people including those arrested were opposing closure of service road near Radisson square. IMC Additional Commissioner Rohan Saxena went to the spot to make the protestors understand the necessity of closing the road. As heated arguments ensued, a supporter of Ward no 31 corporator Saroj Chouhan, Radhakrishna Jaiswal allegedly slapped him in public, police said. However, enraged protestors kept insisting that the road should not be closed as it will lead to problems for those using it for going to their homes, offices and commercial establishments.
Corporator Chouhan, her husband Raghvendra Chouhan and their four supporters were arrested under IPC sections 147, 186, 294, 332 and other relevant sections for allegedly manhandling and slapping the IMC official, Vijay Nagar Police Station In-charge, Prashant Yadav said.