Speaker of Maharashtra Assembly, Dilip Walse Patil apologised to members of the House, general public and police after a section of MLAs beat up a cop in the Vidhan Bhavan building today for allegedly misbehaving with one of the legislators.
"Vidhan Sabha, including MLAs, is an institution and it is our duty as members to uphold its dignity," Walse Patil said after the House re-assembled following a series of adjournments over the issue.
"I apologise to people of the state, police as well as legislators. We are custodians of law. I need to take into account all aspects of the incidents which happened yesterday as well as today in Vidhan Bhavan," the Speaker said.
Walse Patil's comments came after Independent MLA Sunil Kedar, associated with Congress, Kshitij Thakur (Bahujan Vikas Aghadi), Virendra Jagtap (Congress) demanded that government announce action against Assistant Police Inspector (API) Sachin Suryavanshi, attached to Worli police station, for "misbehaving" with Thakur yesterday.
Suryavanshi had reportedly fined a vehicle carrying Thakur, allegedly for over-speeding on the Bandra-Worli Sea Link yesterday. The Vasai MLA was on his way to attend the Assembly session.
According to Thakur, the API allegedly misbehaved with him after an altercation ensued between them.
After Thakur narrated the incident to the House today, a group of MLAs, cutting across MNS, Shiv Sena and BJP, caught hold of Suryavanshi on the first floor of the building and rained blows on him.
The API who was present in the Visitors Gallery was apparently leaving the building after the House was adjourned for 20 minutes following an uproar over the issue, when he was attacked.
