"What are you doing? I will cut off your head," ML Khattar threatened the BJP worker at a rally
Highlights
- ML Khattar cut his speech short, threatened to cut off the man's head
- The BJP worker, embarrassed, folded his hands as an apology
- Mr Khattar said he lost his cool over "Congress culture"
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar was seen losing his cool and threatening to behead a former Haryana government official and party worker at a BJP rally, in a video that surfaced on social media on Wednesday.
Mr Khattar cut his speech short after a BJP worker attempted to make him wear a ceremonial crown. The chief minister, wielding a ceremonial golden axe, with his back turned towards the camera, threatened to cut off the man's head.
"Kya kar rahe ho? Gardan kaat dunga teri (What are you doing? I will cut off your head)," Mr Khattar can be heard saying in the video.
The former official, visibly embarrassed, pauses for a few seconds before folding his hands before Mr Khattar as an apology.
The Congress, in mock-advice to the chief minister, said anger and ego were "harmful to health".
"Why does Khattar sir get angry? If this is what he says to his leader, wonder what will he do with the public?" tweeted Congress's National Spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala, sharing a snippet of the video.
Mr Khattar, reacting to the incident, in turn said he lost his cool over "Congress culture", which made him threaten the worker.
"We have stopped this culture of gold and silver crowns. Even today when a person, especially my own worker, tries to put a crown on my head without informing me, then I get angry. I can't tolerate this," Mr Khattar was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
He also said the party worker, identified as Dr Harshmohan Bharadwaj, a former member of Haryana Staff Selection Commission (HSSC), "did not feel bad" about the incident.
"That person is an old party worker and I have known him for a long time. He did not feel bad about this. We will not allow this Congress culture in our party and the state," he said.
Mr Khattar has been known for making controversial statements in the past. Just a month earlier, Mr Khattar suggested te scrapping of Jammu and Kashmir's special status would allow for Haryana's sex ratio to improve.
Now people say that since Kashmir is open, we can bring girls from there. Jokes apart, if there is a good (sex) ratio, the balance in the society will be set right," Mr Khattar had said at a rally.
(With Inputs From ANI)