Congress leader Kamal Nath is a nine-time lawmaker from Madhya Pradesh's Chhindwara constituency
Highlights
- Kamal Nath was taking the flight to Delhi when the incident happened
- Police said the constable suspiciously pointed his rifle towards the plan
- He was immediately stopped and and later questioned by police
A policeman "suspiciously" picked up his rifle and pointing it towards a plane Congress leader Kamal Nath was travelling in on Friday evening in Madhya Pradesh. Other policemen, however, quickly pushed him away.
The policeman was later suspended.
Sources told NDTV that the incident took place around 5 pm at a small airport in the former Union Minister's Lok Sabha constituency, Chhindwara, about 320 km from state capital Bhopal.
Mr Nath, 71, was flying out of the Imli Khera airstrip when a police constable, identified as Ratnesh Pawar, who was deployed there for security "picked his rifle in a suspicious manner and pointed it towards the plane," said Chhindwara's Additional Superintendent of Police Neeraj Soni.
Former Union Minister Kamal Nath is a nine-time lawmaker from Chhindwara.
Mr Soni said two police officers who were standing close to the constable, quickly stopped him and pushed him away.
He was later questioned by senior police officers.
The police constable denied that he had acted suspiciously, claiming "he did not remember anything".
"In view of all these suspicious aspects, he has been suspended immediately and an investigation has begun," Mr Soni said.
Ratanesh Pawar had joined the police force in 2008 and had served in different police stations of the state.
Vivek Tankha, Madhya Pradesh's former Advocate General and Rajya Sabha member, condemned the incident. "Is this politics of hatred. Should be condemned in strongest terms," Mr Tankha tweeted.