A man walks into a toll both, gets into a verbal argument with the staff and then proceeds to physically abuse him. All, because he was not given VIP treatment at the toll gate and the staff “delayed” in allowing his car to pass through. The man responsible is BJP’s Karnataka MLA from Tumakuru Rural, Suresh Gowda.
In a CCTV footage of the incident, MLA Suresh can be seen entering the toll booth office at Kyathasandra on Bengaluru-Mumbai highway on Friday and slapping the manager Mallikarjun, reports The Times of India.
After the video of the assault went viral on social media on Tuesday, earning wrath for the BJP, the MLA’s office denied the allegations of assault.
While the toll booth staff said that the MLA was miffed over the delay in allowing his vehicle to pass through the toll plaza, the MLA’s office maintained that Suresh had only warned the manager against causing undue delay.
Interestingly, the manager Mallikarjun told media persons that the MLA had not assaulted him, but that they were “friends”.
“The MLA did not attack me; he is my friend. We know each other for several years. He was only wishing me, I would have lodged a police complaint, had he attacked me,” Mallikarjun was quoted as saying.
Mallikarjun went on to say that despite there being a dedicated lane for VIP vehicles at the toll plaza, the drivers often do not drive on the fast-track and blame it on the toll booth staff in case of delay.
MLA Suresh Gowda, however, saw political conspiracy in the controversy.
“This is a political conspiracy. The fast-track lane that was supposed to be reserved for ambulances was blocked, and I had to go into the toll office and warn them against allowing other vehicles in the lane. What if an ambulance with a patient is forced to slow down at the toll booth. Mallkarjun himself said he's my friend,“ Gowda was quoted as saying.