Punjab Congress MLA, his security personnel, and supporters in the poll-bound Punjab were caught on camera thrashing a youth, for questioning the legislator what work he had done for his village.

Reacting sharply, the Shiromani Akali Dal demanded registration of a criminal case against the Congress MLA Joginder Pal, besides seeking his immediate arrest. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) dubbed the incident as the “intolerant face of the Congress”.

In the video widely shared on the social media platforms, Bhoa MLA Joginder Pal, his two security personnel, and some of the supporters, were seen thrashing a youth when he questioned the legislator.

Pal, in the video, was seen addressing a group of people in his constituency, that falls in Pathankot district.

A youth, later identified as Harsh Kumar, could be heard questioning the MLA as to what work he had done during his tenure. On this, one of MLA’s security personnels tried to lead the youth away from the event.

Later, Pal could be heard asking the youth to come and speak to him. As the youth came near, the MLA gave him the microphone to speak, and the youth asked, “Tu ki kita (what have you done?)”.

Losing his cool, enraged Pal could be seen slapping the youth several times in the video. Two of his security personnel and some supporters too then join the lawmaker in thrashing the youth.

Harsh Kumar later said that he had just asked a question but was badly beaten up by Pal and a few others. His mother said that Harsh had only asked the MLA as to what works he had done for the village and demanded justice for him. There was no reaction from the MLA.

From the ruling Congress, Deputy Chief Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa said that a legislator has to serve the people and that the MLA should not have behaved in such a way. BJP IT cell’s national head Amit Malviya, sharing the video, hit out at AICC leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. “After Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Vadra turned out journalists from their PCs for asking factual questions, it is turn of Joginder Singh, Congress MLA from Boha in Pathankot, to thrash a young man black and blue for just questioning him. This is the intolerant face of Congress (sic),” said Malviya in a tweet.

Pathankot police has not registered any case. A police spokesperson said that so far no complaint has been received with regard to the incident.