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Chhattisgarh guest house cook accuses forest minister of assaulting him
Khitendra Pandey, 36, a daily wage cook posted at the Circuit House in Jagdalpur, submitted a complaint at Kotwali police station on Saturday night
Raipur: A contractual employee at a government guest house in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar district has accused state forest minister Kedar Kashyap of abusing and assaulting him– a charge denied by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader.
The allegations have triggered a sharp political reaction, with the Congress demanding Kashyap’s dismissal from the cabinet and registration of a first information report (FIR).
Khitendra Pandey, 36, a daily wage cook posted at the Circuit House in Jagdalpur, submitted a complaint at Kotwali police station on Saturday night.
Bastar superintendent of police (SP) Shalabh Sinha said, “We have received the complaint and an enquiry has started.”
Speaking to reporters, Pandey alleged the minister assaulted and abused him on Saturday evening for not unlocking guest rooms.
“I have been working here for the last 20 years. Around 7.30 pm, I was cooking snacks for the minister when his personal security officer called me. As I went, minister Kedar Kashyap started abusing me. He held my collar and thrashed me. His personal assistant later rescued me,” Pandey alleged.
He added that all rooms were already open and alleged the assault aggravated his health as he has been suffering from paralysis.
Kashyap denied the allegations, calling them baseless and politically motivated. “The Congress is issue-less and spreading misleading propaganda. Nothing of this sort happened,” he said. In a statement on social media, he added, “Our workers are like deities to me, and their insult is intolerable.”
Former chief minister Bhupesh Baghel posted a video of Pandey levelling the allegations and demanded action. “Kedar Kashyap abused and assaulted a Class IV employee in Jagdalpur. The BJP should seek his resignation. He must apologise publicly,” Baghel said. In another post, he urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to sack the “abusive” minister.
State Congress president Deepak Baij also demanded Kashyap’s dismissal and registration of an FIR.
“If a minister misbehaves like this with Class IV employees, where will the common man go? I have assured Pandey that the Congress party stands with him,” Baij said.
The Congress announced it will stage demonstrations across all district headquarters on Sunday, demanding Kashyap’s removal and will burn his effigy as part of the protest.
