BJP MLA ‘apologises’ for beating civic officer

Bhopal: BJP MLA Akash Vijayvargiya, who bashed a civic body officer with a cricket bat in public in Indore city in Madhya Pradesh last month triggering national outrage, has tendered an “apology” to the party for his action.

The young legislator, son of BJP national general secretary in-charge of West Bengal Kaiash Vijayvargiya, met state party president Rakesh Singh and apologised for his action, BJP sources told this newspaper on Friday. Vijayvargiya Junior has regretted his action and promised to take care that such incident did not recur in future, sources added.

“There was a closed-door meeting between Mr Singh and Mr Vijayvargiya that lasted nearly one hour. The meeting took place in state party headquarters here on July 12”, the BJP leader said unwilling to be quoted.

Mr Singh has refused to speak to media on the matter.

Sources said Mr Singh had intimated the Central party leadership on Vijayvargiya’s Junior’s response to the show cause notice issued to him following the incident.

The BJP MLA had chased and later hit the civic body officer with cricket bat in public when he was leading the anti-encroachment team of Indore Municipal Corporation to demolish a  ilapidated house in the town last month. He was later arrested and sent to jail.He was released on bail after spending five days in prison.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had taken strong exception to the incident and sought expulsion of such leaders and their followers from the party.