Union Minister Mahesh Sharma's security officer is seen beating watchmen
Union minister Mahesh Sharma's private security guard is seen in a video clip repeatedly slapping watchmen who stopped the minister's car at an apartment complex near Delhi.
"It took hardly two minutes for us to open the gate, still the minister's security thrashed and abused us. We were just doing our job," says Abhay Pratap Singh, one of the men assaulted at the Ashiana Green apartments in Ghaziabad on Thursday.
In the video widely shared on social media, the guard - who has since been suspended by the minister - is seen slapping and pushing a watchman. He is seen wagging a finger threateningly before lunging at him. He had allegedly demanded to know why the minister was kept waiting despite his "lal batti" (beaconed) car. When the other guards try to stop him, he slaps them too.
"When I came to know of the incident, unconditionally, without finding out who is guilty, I apologized to the guard and the residents' association," said the 56-year-old minister, who had gone to the apartment complex to visit his cousin for the Raksha Bandhan festival.
The guards at the gate had reportedly taken time to try and contact Mr Sharma's relatives to verify his details, but the intercom was not functioning.
"We took 2-3 minutes longer than we usually do. After the minister's car was allowed to go, the second car in the motorcade stopped, a guard came out and started slapping us," said 27-year-old Ajay Sharma, one of the watchmen.
Residents have complained to the police but no FIR or First Information Report has been filed yet.
"I have gone there more than 100 times...I know the protocol. My security person told the guard that this is the flat number and he is the minister who is going in. In spite of that he held me, which is fine. Later he permitted me to go," explained Mr Sharma, who is the Minister of State for Culture in the central government.
"Both are guards. Not so educated. They were fighting. Why drag a minister into this?" he questioned.