An office-bearer of the youth wing of Shiv Sena was today arrested for allegedly assaulting a shop assistant for refusing to provide free 'vada-pavs'.
The incident took place in suburban Vile Parle (West) on Saturday but the FIR was registered today.
The accused, Sunil Mahadik, allegedly hit Chetan Geveriya (28), who works at Trupti Sweet and Farsan Mart on D J Road, with a bamboo stick, police said.
A day ago, Mahadik had sent another person to the shop demanding 100 vada pavs, a popular street-food here, free of cost. Chetan told him that they didn't have so much stock, so the person left.
The next day, Mahadik allegedly called Geveriya on his mobile phone and abused him, and said he must hand over 100 vada pavs immediately to a person he was sending.
Geveria said Mahadik should speak to the owner of the shop first. Irked, Mahadik himself went to the shop and hit Geveria with a bamboo stick and threatened to kill him, police said.
Geveria, though not seriously injured, was taken to Cooper hospital in Juhu, police said.
The incident was captured by the CCTV cameras in the shop and Juhu police registered an FIR. The footage was also aired by some local news channels. Mahadik was arrested and a local court sent him to police custody.
This incident comes in the wake of another in neighbouring Thane where a Shiv Sena worker was arrested for allegedly assaulting a woman traffic constable three days ago. CCTV footage of the incident had gone viral.
While BJP activists alleged that there was a murderous
attack on them and that one of the party workers was kicked by BJD leaders on his face and chest after he fell down, BJD leaders in their FIR said they had to act in self defence.
Condemning the incident, BJP spokesperson Sajjan Sharma said it was an inhuman and undemocratic act by the BJD.
"We were protesting in a democratic way. They suddenly came out of their cars and attacked our workers. Three of our workers were injured in the attack," said Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) Boudh president Narayan Karmi.
Meanwhile, the BJP state leadership has decided to send a team of its legislature party to the spot tomorrow to take stock of the situation.
"A team of the BJP legislature party led by K V Singhdeo will visit the spot at Manamunda in Boudh district tomorrow to take stock of the situation," BJP general secretary Prithivraj Harichandan said.
BJD MLA from Begunia Prashant Jagdev, who led the charge against protesting BJP workers, however, gave a different account of the incident.
"In the name of showing black flags, the BJP activists wanted to kill us. All we did was to act in self defence," he said.
Protesting BJD's attack, BJYM and the BJP women's wing blocked roads at Master Canteen square in the state capital.
The BJP has said its supporters would demonstrate in front of government offices in Boudh tomorrow.
