BJP MLA Prahlad Gunjal has been suspended by his party after he was heard threatening an officer on phone
A lawmaker of Rajasthan's ruling BJP tells a senior doctor that he will kick him, slap him, cut off his hair and "skin him alive", in a phone conversation that has gone viral on social media. Prahlad Gunjal, the BJP legislator from Kota, has been suspended on the orders of BJP chief Amit Shah.
On Monday, Mr Gunjal called Dr RN Yadav, the Chief Medical Officer of Kota, and threatened and abused him for not stopping the transfer of a male nurse related to a BJP worker.
In the conversation, posted online and circulated widely on WhatsApp, Mr Gunjal is heard threatening to hit the doctor in various ways and even beat him to pulp. He also uses expletives, furious that his word didn't count in restoring the job of the nurse, who was removed from a health centre on charges of corruption in the purchase of medicines.
"I told you he is family. How dare you give me attitude? I will punch you. I want the order by tomorrow, or else... ," shouts the lawmaker. "My reputation has been ruined in front of party workers," he rages at one point.
"I got carried away," Mr Gunjal told NDTV today, claiming he had called the doctor four times before, without being heard.
Bombarded by criticism, the BJP today uspended the legislator, calling his conduct "unacceptable."
But in the middle of the party's damage control, an audio of another phone call has surfaced, in which a man claiming to be a BJP worker vows to make good on Mr Gunjal's threats.
The worker, Dilip Shukla, called two days later and is heard telling Dr Yadav, "How dare you record the conversation? All that (Mr Gunjal) told you will become reality. We will leave you unable to sit."
Dr Yadav has filed a police complaint against both, and one of the charges - atrocities against backward castes - could lead to arrest. He applied for voluntary retirement today, saying he was mentally harassed. Outraged doctors took out street protests in cities like Jaipur demanding stronger action against the legislator.