BIRGUNJ, Nov 10: State Minister for Agriculture and Cooperatives Karima Begum on Tuesday afternoon slapped Chief District Officer (CDO) of Parsa Durga Prasad Bhandari at the latter´s own office premises. [break]
State Minister Begum slapped CDO Bhandari five times, saying that he sent an ´old´ vehicle to pick her up from Simara Airport. She was in Birgunj to attend an interaction on ´Girl education campaign for women lawmakers´.
Begum, who was accompanied by party cadres, grabbed CDO Bhandari by the scruff of the neck and slapped him five times upon her arrival at the CDO office. CDO Bhandari was then waiting to welcome the visiting minister.
“Yes, I beat up the CDO. I slapped him five times, pulling him up by the collar,” said Begum.
It is learnt that Begum had initially demanded a Scorpio belonging to the District Development Committee, Parsa. The District Administration Office had sent a Mitsubishi car from the Agricultural Tools Research Office in Birgunj.
Begum told media persons that she slapped the CDO as the latter failed to send a new vehicle to pick her up.
“The CDO has been using the Scorpio. Why can´t a minister use the vehicle?” she asked angrily. “Who is senior-- minister or CDO?”
CDO Bhandari said he was taken by surprise when the minister all of a sudden started slapping him while he was standing in the premises to welcome her. “I could not even get in a word,” he said. “I did not react, out of respect for the position of minister and parliamentarian.”
Bhandari said Begum became more angry when he tried to persuade her that such conduct by her did not suit her ministerial position. “She even broke my spectacles,” he complained.
Bhandari said he has already informed Home Minister Bhim Bahadur Rawal about the incident and Minister Rawal assured him the matter would be put to the cabinet. “What will she do to other employees when she beats up even the CDO?” he asked.
District Administration Offices (DAOs) in Bara and Parsa remained closed Tuesday to protest the treatment of the CDO. Government employees at local bodies have warned of stringent protests against the incident, terming it ´deplorable´.