Haryana mkt committee staff seek Sonali Phogat’s arrest
ROHTAK: Employees of market committees across Haryana on Saturday went on a strike, demanding arrest of Tiktok star-turned-bjp leader Sonali Phogat.
She had landed in a controversy after thrashing Hisar market committee secretary Sultan Singh with a slipper during her visit to Balsamand mandi on Friday. Outside the Hisar grain market, the protesters, who were joined by farmers and commission agents, raised slogans against the leader.
Hisar’s Congress unit has also extended support to Sultan Singh, who had admitted himself to the civil hospital for medical examination.
Whether any action has been taken by the women commission in this case, Preeti Bhardwaj, vice-chairperson of the state commission for women, said they had not received any complaint from either party. “We have not taken any action, but police are probing,” she added.
The Balsamand police had registered an FIR against Sonali Phogat under sections 147 (rioting), 149 (unlawful assembly), 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), 332 (hurting public servant to deter him from duty), 353 (criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), while Sultan Singh was booked under sections 354 (assault or criminal force against a woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 354-A and 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman).
Congress’ MLA from Adampur Kuldeep Bishnoi, who had defeated Sonali Phogat in the 2019 assembly elections, said he was surprised why police had not arrested Phogat till yet.
“Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar should clarify if the rules are different for BJP leaders in the state. We will not tolerate such incidents against honest government officials,” he posted on Twitter.