Pratibha Dhanorkar denies Barve slapped her, says video is being misread

Congress MP Pratibha Dhanorkar has said clearly that Ramtek MP Shyamkumar Barve did not slap her. A video of a bus journey in Delhi had gone viral on social media, prompting considerable talk in political circles. Dhanorkar has now come forward herself to clarify.

In the video, Barve is seen touching Dhanorkar's cheek. This was the basis of the claim that he slapped her. Dhanorkar has rejected the claim.

Dhanorkar said all the MPs live with one another like brothers and sisters. According to her, Barve is like an elder brother to her. She said there was no need to give the incident another colour and make news of it for no reason.

Speaking on the viral video, Dhanorkar said it was not right at all to malign a woman MP in this manner. She appealed to people not to draw wrong meanings from the video.

There was also talk that a complaint had been made to senior Congress leaders over the matter. Dhanorkar said those making such a complaint could be well-wishers or could be political opponents. She also said that had Barve actually slapped her, she would herself have complained to the Congress's senior leadership.

What actually happened? A Congress rally was held in Delhi on November 1. Several MPs from Maharashtra had gone to Delhi to take part. All the MPs set out for Ramlila Maidan in one bus. During this bus ride, Dhanorkar, Barve and Mumbai Congress leader Varsha Gaikwad were in conversation.

The video emerged from this conversation, in which Barve was seen touching Dhanorkar's cheek. Various claims and discussions then began on social media. Some called it a slapping incident, while others guessed it was only a joke.

After the video went viral, there was also talk of a dispute within the Congress and of alleged complaints to the senior leadership. Dhanorkar has now herself come forward to deny the slapping claim. Her clarification has given the matter a new turn and changed the direction of the social media discussion.