BJP MLA booked for slapping on-duty police constable in Pune
Pune, Jan 6: An offence has been registered against a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA for allegedly slapping an on-duty police constable in Maharashtra's Pune city, police said on Saturday.
A video of the incident that occurred on Friday surfaced on social media, in which Sunil Kamble, the legislator from Pune Cantonment constituency, hit an on-duty constable at Sassoon General Hospital here.
Based on a complaint lodged by the constable, a case has been registered against Kamble under section 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) of the Indian Penal Code, an official said.
A programme was organised at the Sassoon General Hospital, where Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar was also present.
In the video, Kamble is seen coming down the stairs after the event and slapping a man who came in his way. The person was an on-duty constable attached to the Bundgarden police station, the official said.
Refuting the allegations, Kamble said, "I did not assault anyone. I was coming down the steps when someone came in the way. I pushed him and went ahead."
#WATCH | Maharashtra | BJP MLA Sunil Kamble was seen slapping a Police personnel during an event at Sassoon Hospital in Pune today. Deputy CM Ajit Pawar was present on the stage at the event when the incident occurred.
— ANI (@ANI) January 5, 2024
Visuals show Sunil Kamble leaving the stage after the… pic.twitter.com/gSXTRmINMr
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
