Maneka accused of hitting forest employee

Union Minister Maneka Gandhi has been accused of slapping and kicking a Forest Department employee in the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve.

“We are going into the complaint against the Minister,” a senior police official said on Tuesday, adding that no FIR has been lodged.

Approached for comment, Ms. Maneka Gandhi told reporters outside Parliament: “I am not even answering things like this.”

In the complaint with the Gajraula police, Rooplal alleged that Maneka had slapped and kicked him after she got annoyed seeing a forest fire while on her way to Puranpur to attend a function on Sunday.

Rooplal complained that the Union Minister for Women and Child Welfare stopped at a barrier in the Mala forest range when she saw residue of wheat crop being burnt in adjacent fields. She lost her cool and held him responsible for it, he alleged. The deputy forest ranger present on the spot fled sensing trouble, leaving him to fend for himself, Rooplal claimed.

He alleged that the Minister got angry with him and hit him.

Rooplal narrated the incident to Minister of State in Uttar Pradesh government Riyaz Ahmad and District Magistrate O.N. Singh. — PTI