GUWAHATI: A video clip emerged on social media depicting the daughter of a former Assam chief minister allegedly attacking a driver, whilst she claimed he would verbally abuse her when drunk.
The footage showed Prajoyeeta Kashyap, daughter of former CM Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, striking a kneeling man with a slipper whilst shouting abuses at him.
The incident occurred at the heavily guarded MLA Hostel premises in Dispur area, with several staff members present during the altercation.
After the video gained widespread attention on social media on Monday, Kashyap stated that the individual was a long-term driver employed by their family.
“But he is always drunk and passes comments on me. Everyone knows about it. We tried to make him understand, and told him not to do so. But it crossed all limits when he started pounding on my door at our house today,” she said.
When questioned about not filing a police complaint, Kashyap avoided answering directly and stated that women often face criticism in such situations.
She declined to disclose the driver’s employer whilst raising concerns about women’s safety in public spaces.
The employment status of the driver remained unclear, whether he was a government employee or privately hired by the family.
Despite not being a current legislator, former Asom Gana Parishad president Prafulla Kumar Mahanta has been permitted to reside in the MLA hostel with his family.
He served as Assam’s chief minister for two terms – spanning 1985 to 1990 and subsequently from 1996 to 2001.
Key highlights:
- A viral video shows Prajoyeeta Kashyap, daughter of former Assam CM Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, hitting a driver with a slipper while hurling abuses at him.
- Kashyap claimed the driver, employed by their family, was frequently drunk and made inappropriate comments toward her, escalating to banging on her door.
- The altercation took place at the highly secured MLA Hostel premises in Dispur, with staff present during the confrontation.
- It remains unclear whether the driver was a government employee or privately hired, while Kashyap refrained from filing a police complaint, citing concerns over societal judgment against women.
(With inputs from agency)
