Did Minister Babul Supriyo Slap Policeman? Video Surfaces

Kolkata: As the BJP hit the streets of Kolkata in protest against the alleged attack on Union minister Babul Supriyo, a video has surfaced in which the minister is purportedly seen manhandling a policeman.

In the video, Mr Supriyo is seen standing on the foot board of his red beacon car in the middle of a shouting, jostling crowd. As a policeman comes to talk to him, the minister -- a popular playback singer turned politician -- is seen slapping the officer on the head,  knocking off his cap, grabbing it and throwing it at the policeman.

Mr Supriyo had claimed yesterday that he had been injured in an attack by a group of Trinamool workers in his constituency, Asansol. In a video, a rock can be seen striking his chest.

Today, his party held a massive protest rally in the heart of Kolkata, barely half a kilometer from the home of TMC chief and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. It was led by state BJP leaders like Rupa Ganguly, Rahul Sinha and Chandra Bose.

But violence broke out soon as the 2000-strong crowd started throwing stones at the police, who retaliated with a baton charge.

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On Tuesday, the minister, on a visit to the Chandmari area in his constituency, had detained some men herding cows, suspecting they were smuggling cattle. When he was quizzing them, someone from the group of the assembled onlookers had said the local Trinamool legislator Moloy Ghatak was also part of the racket and was getting a share of the proceeds.

Mr Supriyo ordered his men to gherao the legislator's house. But anticipating the gherao, Trinamool workers gathered in front of the minister's house. A local BJP leader passing by was stopped and thrashed. That's when Babul Supriyo drove up and a crowd threw stones at the convoy. A stone hit Mr Supriyo on the chest. He later tweeted a photograph of his injury.

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What is not clear is if he slapped the police man before being hit by the stone or after.