Slap case: Andhra MP says sorry

The MP from Andhra Pradesh, Dr M Jagannatham finally decided to apologise for slapping a bank official on Sunday. But that is not good enough, say angry bank employees. They want him to say sorry in Mahbubnagar where he assaulted the bank manager.

Apparently under pressure from his party leadership, Congress MP Jagannatham said in Delhi that he is sorry for slapping a bank manager in Mahbubnagar on Sunday evening.

"I thought I should not be adamant and as a goodwill gesture towards the bankers, I apologised to them unconditionally," said M Jagannatham, MP, Congress.

But bank employees are not satisfied. They want Jagannatham to apologise in Andhra Pradesh and also withdraw the case he booked against the manager under the SC/ST Atrocities Act.

"We welcome this initiative of the MP but that it should be done in Andhra Pradesh or in Mahbubnagar. Let him also withdraw the police cases," said Venkateswara Reddy, General Secretary, AP Rural Banks Association.

Ravinder Reddy, clearly tired of being in the news for the wrong reasons, wants an amicable solution.

"We also expect he will come forward and establish truce with bankers and the local people," said Ravinder Reddy, Branch Manager.

It's a bitter pill that Doctor-MP Jagannatham has had to swallow. But the larger issue is of what should be the code of conduct for elected representatives and also accountability of administrative machinery like rural banks.