"I haven't done anything, only allegations being raised": MP minister's son Abhigyan Patel, who is booked for assaulting restaurant owners in Bhopal

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh) [India], April 3 (ANI): Madhya Pradesh health minister Narendra Shivaji Patel's son Abhiyan Patel, who has been booked in connection with assaulting restaurant owners in Bhopa,l on Wednesday gave clarification over the incident saying he had not done anything in the matter and only allegations were raised against him.
The incident of assault had allegedly occurred in the Gulmohar locality under the jurisdiction of Shahpura police station in the city late on last Saturday night following which a case was registered against the minister's son along with a few others.
Reacting to the whole incident, Patel told ANI, "I have neither beaten anyone nor done anything in the whole matter. It was a dispute related to my friends and I just intervened to pacify the situation. In the video of the incident that has surfaced, it is clearly visible that I was standing at a distance. In the end also, I intervened and separated both the sides so that the matter does not escalate further."
He further said that when he came to know that FIR was lodged, then he along with his friends reached the police station to file a counter FIR.
"When I went to TI's (Town Inspector) chamber, he asked me to wait outside. I went out and suddenly eight-nine policemen came, caught me, took me to a room where there was no camera and started beating me. I was also asking them but they did not say anything, asked me to keep quiet and kept beating me," he added.
Later he was taken to TI's room where he said he would not say anything, he would speak when his father would come. Then he called his father from his friend's phone and told him about the incident following which his father reached there, the minister's son said.
Meanwhile, when asked about the allegation of consuming liquor and assaulting, Patel said, "I would like to say that I have a heart problem by birth. The doctor has clearly told me that alcohol is poison for me. How can I drink alcohol after that? What is being said about assaulting the media person but the matter was about signal. There was no fight there. It was the media person who abused us. We went ahead where he stopped and we had a conversation. There was much issue with the mediaperson. Meanwhile, the restaurant people came from inside. What is said about bringing the rod, we did not have any rod. The restaurant owner's wife came with a rod and handed it over to her husband. One of their chefs hit my friend with a pot. This was the whole matter, I have nothing to do with this matter, only allegations are being labelled against me."
The minister's son further said that he did not misbehave with any police personnel as well. If one checks the CCTV footage of the police station, then he was going inside the police station quietly. The people of the other party were abusing and shouting. Neither he misbehaved with any policeman, nor he misbehaved with TI.
He also alleged that there was an issue of conversion between the restaurant owners and he used to organise RSS Shakhas in the area so it could be a reason that he was targeted in the matter.
"I did not know the restaurant owner but now I have come to know that there is some conversion related issue. Among the restaurant owners, the man is Christian and his wife is Hindu. I work for RSS and also used to organise a shakha in the area and I am active in all the programs of Hindu festivals, so it could be a reason that I was targeted in the matter." Patel said.
When asked about allegations of the minister putting pressure on police, Patel said, "No pressure was created on anyone. Even after reaching the police station, my father had said that if it is my son's fault then investigate and take action but no one has the right to beat him. No pressure was created that FIR should not be filed. FIR has been lodged from the other side as well as FIR has been lodged from our side also."
"I demand that there should be a fair investigation into the entire matter and action should be taken against whoever is guilty," he added. (ANI)