Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Newly elected member of Rajya Sabha Sumitra Balmik was allegedly evicted from circuit house at Sagar. Her belongings were taken out of her room in her absence on Sunday night in a disgraceful and objectionable manner, she claimed.
“My biggest objection is to the act of the male staff of the circuit house who touched my innerwear which was a part of my belongings and shifted from the room where I was staying into the staff room, in my absence”, said the MP talking to Free Press on Monday night.
A video clip went viral on social media on Monday in which the MP was heard taking exception to the act of the circuit house staff and saying ‘if a minister is visiting the circuit house it doesn’t mean that my belongings are thrown out of a room in such a manner’.
Sumitra Balmik said she was busy in the election campaign. When she returned to the circuit house on Sunday night she came to know about the same.
She said the circuit house caretaker told her that they had taken her belongings out of her room at the order of local lady officer SDM Tripathi.
“Since I was on election campaign I may not have been entitled to stay in the government guest house. But there was no fault on my part. When I reached Sagar (Saturday night) from Gwalior the party workers took me to the circuit house. But if I was not entitled to stay in the circuit house the district administration could have denied the room during the night itself. I could have stayed in any hotel then”, she said.
The woman MP said she inquired with the staff if there was any woman staff. They replied in negative. “Then, I asked how come a male staff member touched the innerwear of a woman, that too of a woman who holds a constitutional position. There was no reply”, she said.
She said she was evicted in such a manner that could have been avoided. “This could have been done in a graceful manner”, she added.
She said she had conveyed to the party leaders about the incident and they have taken cognizance of the same.
When contacted Sagar collector Deepak Arya said, “The MP was supposed to stay in room no. 3 but she stayed in room no. 5, hence the staff shifted her belongings. I have, however, initiated action against the caretaker on the ground that it was not done in a proper manner.”
Nevertheless, BJP spokesperson, Neha Bagga said while commenting on the tweet that action would be taken against the official concerned.
