A celebration honouring Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s birth anniversary in Satna, Madhya Pradesh, turned chaotic on Friday after BJP MP Ganesh Singh publicly slapped a municipal crane operator during a Run for Unity event.
The incident occurred at Semriya Chowk when the MP was using a hydraulic crane to garland a statue of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar. According to videos shared online, the crane suddenly jolted and stopped mid-air, leaving Singh visibly shaken and angry.
“The machine jerked due to a minor technical fault. The operator was only doing his job,” the NDTV reported quoting an eyewitness.
Footage shows Ganesh Singh, 62, gesturing angrily at the operator before calling him over and slapping him in public. The operator was later identified as Ganesh Kushwaha, a municipal employee of the local civic body.
Eyewitnesses confirmed that the crane had malfunctioned briefly before stabilizing. However, Singh reportedly lost his temper after descending, confronting Kushwaha in front of other officials and participants.
BJP MP Ganesh Singh Slaps Crane Operator After Getting Stuck Mid-Air in Satna Event .
In a shocking turn during the ‘Run for Unity’ program in Satna, Madhya Pradesh, BJP MP Ganesh Singh found himself trapped in a hydraulic crane while attempting to garland Dr. B.R.… pic.twitter.com/dwgT1E2b5N
— Trending Eyes (@thetrendingeyes) October 31, 2025
Representative Defends the Act
Amid growing criticism, Neeta Sonia, a representative of MP Ganesh Singh, defended the slap in a social media post, saying it was out of concern for safety.
“The MP merely slapped him. His arms and legs should have been broken. If he had fallen from that height, who would have taken responsibility?” she wrote, according to NDTV.
The remark sparked further backlash online, with many accusing the representative of endorsing violence and arrogance.
The Congress party strongly condemned the incident, calling it an example of “BJP’s feudal mindset.”
“Ganesh Singh, the arrogant and controversy-prone MP from Satna, slapped a municipal crane operator,” the Madhya Pradesh Congress wrote in Hindi on X (formerly Twitter).
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“The poor man’s only fault was that he went to rescue the MP, who was trapped in the crane.”
Congress MLA Siddharth Kushwaha also criticized Singh, saying leaders in the ruling government had become “reckless and unaccountable.”
“The crane wasn’t meant for such use. Climbing onto it was unsafe, and the condition of the machine should have been checked first. Slapping a worker out of fear was equally wrong,” Kushwaha told PTI.
Online Outrage and Political Reactions
The video quickly went viral across platforms, with users condemning the MP’s behavior and demanding disciplinary action. Many social media users compared the incident to past controversies involving political leaders’ mistreatment of government workers.
As of Friday evening, there has been no official apology from Ganesh Singh or the BJP’s Madhya Pradesh unit.
