<p class="title">Union minister Babul Supriyo who is contesting the West Bengal assembly election from the Tollygunje constituency, has courted controversy by allegedly slapping a man inside a party office in Kolkata.</p>.<p class="bodytext">A video, which went viral Monday, showed the singer- turned BJP leader purportedly slapping the man who had repeatedly asked him to start serious campaigning on the field instead of posing before TV cameras and giving bytes.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Supriyo later claimed that he did not "slap him but only gestured to do so".</p>.<p class="bodytext"><strong>Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/east-and-northeast/west-bengal-assembly-polls-babul-supriyos-journey-from-a-singers-studio-to-a-politicians-stage-964983.html" target="_blank">Bengal polls: The political melodies of Babul Supriyo</a></strong></p>.<p class="bodytext">The alleged incident took place in a BJP party office at Ranikuthi in the Tollygunge constituency where the Union minister of state for environment, forest & climate change attended a function on the occasion of Doljatra festival on Sunday.</p>.<p class="bodytext">When the man advised him to start serious campaigning, Supriyo initially asked him to keep quiet but he continued to make similar comments, BJP sources said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">At one point of time, the minister was seen slapping him once.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"With people coming from one party to another, there can be some Bibhisons and some Mir Jafars (traitors). Some people are definitely trying to create disturbances. I kept my cool despite his provocations," Supriyo told reporters. However, he did not elaborate if he considered the youth as someone sent by the Trinamool Congress or a 'Bibhison' or 'Mir Jafar' within the party.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The identity of the youth is not known.</p>.<p class="bodytext">TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said that the party wanted to know whether the man slapped by Supriyo was "an outsider of the Trinamool Congress or a Bibhison (someone of the BJP)".</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Those accepting people from other parties with open arms should not make such comments," he said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">BJP state president Dilip Ghosh said, "Babul might have touched the man at the heat of the moment but he did not intend to hit him or harm him physically."</p>
<p class="title">Union minister Babul Supriyo who is contesting the West Bengal assembly election from the Tollygunje constituency, has courted controversy by allegedly slapping a man inside a party office in Kolkata.</p>.<p class="bodytext">A video, which went viral Monday, showed the singer- turned BJP leader purportedly slapping the man who had repeatedly asked him to start serious campaigning on the field instead of posing before TV cameras and giving bytes.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Supriyo later claimed that he did not "slap him but only gestured to do so".</p>.<p class="bodytext"><strong>Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/east-and-northeast/west-bengal-assembly-polls-babul-supriyos-journey-from-a-singers-studio-to-a-politicians-stage-964983.html" target="_blank">Bengal polls: The political melodies of Babul Supriyo</a></strong></p>.<p class="bodytext">The alleged incident took place in a BJP party office at Ranikuthi in the Tollygunge constituency where the Union minister of state for environment, forest & climate change attended a function on the occasion of Doljatra festival on Sunday.</p>.<p class="bodytext">When the man advised him to start serious campaigning, Supriyo initially asked him to keep quiet but he continued to make similar comments, BJP sources said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">At one point of time, the minister was seen slapping him once.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"With people coming from one party to another, there can be some Bibhisons and some Mir Jafars (traitors). Some people are definitely trying to create disturbances. I kept my cool despite his provocations," Supriyo told reporters. However, he did not elaborate if he considered the youth as someone sent by the Trinamool Congress or a 'Bibhison' or 'Mir Jafar' within the party.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The identity of the youth is not known.</p>.<p class="bodytext">TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said that the party wanted to know whether the man slapped by Supriyo was "an outsider of the Trinamool Congress or a Bibhison (someone of the BJP)".</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Those accepting people from other parties with open arms should not make such comments," he said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">BJP state president Dilip Ghosh said, "Babul might have touched the man at the heat of the moment but he did not intend to hit him or harm him physically."</p>