Can break your leg: Minister at event for handicapped

Two separate police complaints have been filed against Union Minister Babul Surpriyo over his remarks on Tuesday where he threatened to break a man's leg and put him on crutches during an event in his constituency Asansol.

Supriyo was speaking at a function organised to donate wheelchairs and other equipment for the differently abled, when he suddenly flared up and paused his speech. ‘‘Why are you moving? Please sit down," he said, apparently to a man who had distracted him with his constant fidgeting. The union minister snapped at the man, saying, "What happened to you? Any problem? I can break one of your legs and can give you a crutch."

Supriyo proceeded to "order" his security men to break the man's leg and hand him a crutch if he dared to move again. And then asked the audience to give the man a round of applause.

When asked to comment on the controversy over his remarks, the minister said he owes no clarification. "People know me, I don't need to give any clarification. I have my own way of handling things. It was absolutely in jest. No use trying to create a controversy out of this. I deserve a benefit of the doubt as I have the goodwill," the minister told a news portal.

One of the FIRS says, ‘‘The behaviour attitude and utterances of the Hon'ble Minister amount to criminal intimidation and needs to be dealt with legally."