Bhopal, Aug 7 (IANS): Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan suspended an assistant sub-inspector and a head constable for assaulting Sikh who ran a small shop near a police post at Rajapur in Barwani district.
The state government woke up to the incident after the Union Minister for Food Processing and Industries Harsimrat Kaur tweeted the video of the incident.
A viral video of the incident shows Prem Singh being dragged by policemen in full public view and a cop pulling him by his hair. It also shows another policeman pushing a turbaned man, who comes to save Singh.
State Congress chief Kamal Nath also tweeted on the matter, "In MP's Barwani, police beat up a Sikh man, Prem Singh Granthi, who runs a small shop close to police chowki and also removed his turban. Police also beat him up mercilessly pulling him by hair."
Chouhan said in a tweet that assistant sub-inspector Sitaram Yadav and head constable Mohan Jamre have been suspended with immediate effect.
Chouhan said, "Such barbarism and erratic behaviour won't be tolerated at any cost. The guilty will be punished for the misdeeds."
Chouhan has also ordered a probe into the matter.
The incident threatened to turn into an inter-state dispute with the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal taking to Twitter to condemn the incident.
"Too shocking for words! The barbaric and humiliating attack on Giani Prem Singh Granthi & other Sikhs in Madhya Pradesh is utterly inhuman and unacceptable. I urge CM@ChouhanShivraj to set an example of punitive action against those who treat the sword of the nation with such contempt," Badal tweeted.
Barwani district Superintendent of Police Nimish Agrawal said a probe by a sub-divisional police officer has been ordered into the incident, which took place on Thursday.
Prem Singh said he runs a small shop close to the police 'chowki' and deals in old locks and keys. But Agrawal claimed Prem Singh was inebriated and created ruckus when he was asked to show his driving licence during a checking drive.