NC demands probe into abusing woman sarpanch in RS Pura

The National Conference on Thursday described as unfortunate reported brawl between a woman sarpanch and the party leader Gagan Bhagat over installation of an electric transformer in RS Pura and sought immediate and impartial probe into the circumstances leading to the incident. NC leader and former MLA Gagan Bhagat was arrested Thursday for allegedly abusing and thrashing sarpanch Seema Devi in the border belt of R S Pura in Jammu district, officials said.

The alleged incident of thrashing was reported in the area on Saturday but the video, purportedly showing the NC leader attacking the sarpanch and her supporters, went viral on the social media Wednesday, prompting police to register a case. "While the National Conference believes in probity in public life, we also hope that such sensitive issues are not politicized," the NC provincial spokesperson said in a statement and regretted the attempts being made to "derive political mileage" out of the incident.

"Since the police has taken cognizance, as of now let's wait for the outcome of the investigations," he said, adding that the law must take its course.