Pratibha Dhanorkar says viral bus video with MP Barwe was banter, calls him an elder brother

Chandrapur Congress MP Pratibha Dhanorkar has given her side on an alleged viral video involving Ramtek MP Shyamkumar Barwe. The video was shot on a bus. Dhanorkar said it was only a moment of banter and teasing between them, and that she has no complaint against Barwe.

In the video, which has been widely shared on social media, Barwe is seen moving his hand towards Dhanorkar's cheek. After the video surfaced, it was claimed that he had slapped a woman MP, and this set off many kinds of suspicion and discussion.

Dhanorkar said Barwe is like an elder brother to her and that there was nothing objectionable in the incident. She expressed displeasure that the incident was being presented in a misleading manner. She also said such reports needlessly damage the dignity of a woman MP.

Describing the incident, Dhanorkar said Congress MPs had set out together in one bus from the Constitution Club in Delhi to go to the Ramlila Maidan. MP Varsha Gaikwad was seated next to her, while MP Shobha Bachhav was seated in front of her. Some MPs from Jharkhand and Rajasthan were also in the group.

According to Dhanorkar, Barwe had come wearing new clothes that day. Other MPs jokingly asked him about his marriage. Varsha Gaikwad teased him about his age, after which the mood became light.

Barwe joined in the conversation. He said jokingly that his son is already 20 to 22 years old, while he himself is not yet even 30 and is unmarried. In the midst of this laughter, Barwe lightly touched Dhanorkar's cheek. She said Barwe had joked in a similar way with Varsha Gaikwad as well.

After the video, screenshots of an alleged complaint sent to senior leaders, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and K C Venugopal, also surfaced. The complaint was said to have been sent from an anonymous email account named "Nagpur Congress Worker".

Dhanorkar questioned the credibility of the complaint. She said she does not know who sent it. She said it is not right to spread allegations when there is no official complaint or verified complainant. She also said the complaint could be an attempt to defame her, Barwe or Varsha Gaikwad.

Dhanorkar said Congress MPs who live in the same building share close personal ties. She said they often have meals together and meet one another like members of a family. She appealed to the media and the public not to give a misleading colour to ordinary, light-hearted interaction.

She also asked why attention was being diverted to this video when there are major political issues connected with the Congress protest in Delhi. Dhanorkar gave the clarification while social media discussion continued on the video of the two Congress MPs from Maharashtra.