Congress President Rahul Gandhi, like various other politicians, is sweating it out as the 2019 Lok Sabha elections reach almost its last leg. The Gandhi scion had held a roadshow in Dhanbad, Jharkhand on Tuesday, campaigning for its Dhanbad candidate Kirti Azad, as Dhanbad goes to vote in the 6th phase of the ongoing elections scheduled on May 12.
In what could be seen as a major embarrassment for the Congress party, few people attending Rahul’s roadshow were heard chanting ‘PM Modi zindabad’ slogans in retaliation to the ‘chowkidar chor hain’ slogans called out by Rahul’s supporters.
In the 45 minutes roadshow, as Rahul’s convoy passed through Matkuria check post to reach the Bank More, several people standing on the terraces of the nearby houses were also heard shouting slogans: “Chowkidar pure hain, unka aana sure hain” and in the same breath were heard echoing, “PM Modi zindabad”. However, looking unaffected by the uproar, Rahul and his minister’s continued with their roadshow.
Amongst all this, a shocking incident also transpired. In a video shared by a Tweeter handle named @ExSecular, a police officer, Surendra Singh, is seen hitting a young boy for wearing a PM Modi’s mask during Rahul’s Dhanbad rally. The officer slaps the boy, snatches the mask and destroys it. He forces the young boy to shout “Chowkidar chor hain”.
कल धनबाद में राहुल गांधी के रोड शो के दौरान सड़क के किनारे खड़े बच्चे ने मोदी जी का मुखौटा पहन रखा था, पूलिस ने जोरों से दो थप्पड़ जड़ दिया उनके मुंखोटा फाड़ दिया और कहा चौक़ीदार चोर है कहो और भाजपा के महिला कार्यकर्ताओं को गाली गलौज किया pic.twitter.com/ldu8i0d70A
— Chowkidar ExSecular (@ExSecular) May 8, 2019
Another Bank More police officer, when asked about the incident, said, that the boy who was standing in the corner of the street with Modi’s mask on, was asked to remove the mask and move to a side, as Rahul Gandhi’s convoy was approaching. Even after being asked multiple times the boy refused to move, which irked police officer Surendra Singh, who in turn started hitting him.
Meanwhile, the man recording the incident is heard warning the officer of dire consequences if he does not stop bullying the boy, but the police officer unruffled by the warning continues to intimidate the child.
Later police said that they did not hit the boy, but said that the boy was behaving inappropriately hence they were talking to him. But the video clearly shows that the boy was just standing when he was suddenly slapped by the police officer.
