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Video shows ‘husband slapping Punjab AAP MLA’, women’s panel takes note
Punjab state women commission chairperson Manisha Gulati has taken a suo moto cognisance of a nearly two-month-old video clip purportedly showing the sitting AAP MLA from Talwandi Sabo Baljinder Kaur slapped on her face by a man being identified as her husband
Punjab state women commission chairperson Manisha Gulati has taken a suo moto cognisance of a nearly two-month-old video clip purportedly showing the sitting Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) from Talwandi Sabo Baljinder Kaur hit on her face by a man being identified as her husband.
A two-term MLA Baljinder is married to Sukhraj Singh Bal, who is also an AAP political volunteer.
Baljinder and Bal continue to avoid making comments more than 24 hours after the surfacing of the video in the public domain.
The timestamp suggests the CCTV clip was recorded on July 10 evening.
But the leaked video went viral on social media on Thursday evening coinciding with a visit by chief minister Bhagwant Mann to Bathinda on Friday.
Gulati, who is reportedly in the UK on leave, expressed shock over the viral video.
The clip evoked sharp criticism and several politicians including Bathinda Lok Sabha MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal, and Punjab youth Congress president Brinder Dhillon demanded legal action in the matter.
CM, who was in the district for a daylong visit, chose not to comment on the incident of alleged domestic violence on the MLA.
Baljinder, who accompanied Mann to various places on Friday, also avoided taking media questions.
Talwandi Sabo deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Jatin Bansal said on Friday evening that there was neither a written complaint from the MLA nor any order from the Punjab women’s commission in the incident of Baljinder being attacked by her spouse.
Police sources said it is to be verified how the footage from a private setup surfaced in the public domain.
“Since no one has made a formal complaint to the police or the women commission, there is no clue what was the issue between the couple. There is no official clarity even if the incident took place in Bathinda or elsewhere,” said another police functionary.
