In a shocking development, a Union BJP Minister had threatened to slap a man who was complaining about the shortage of oxygen in a hospital in Madhya Pradesh. The appalling act of the minister had stirred outrage with many people are castigating him for his surly behavior towards the people who are facing the oxygen crisis in treating their loved ones. 

According to reports, Prahlad Singh Patel is the Union Minister of State for Tourism and Culture. He is also a Lok Sabha MP of BJP representing the Damoh parliamentary constituency in Madhya Pradesh. He had recently invited major flak from people for not visiting his constituency during the crisis and distressing times for people as they are facing the second wave of the pandemic and the dearth of oxygen supply in the hospitals to save their family members. 

Following criticism, Patel had on Thursday visited the Damoh district hospital, which is a dedicated Covid facility. It is one of the hospitals in Madhya Pradesh that caught under the oxygen crisis and when the minister came to the hospital, he had faced a huge backlash from the people. Among the public, a man was heard speaking to the minister and seeking oxygen for his mother who is admitted to the hospital. 

The man was complaining to Prahlad Singh Patel about the oxygen crisis in the hospital after which the Union Minister has lost his patience and threatened to slap him. The reports say that the man had used expletive words in pain which could have made the ministry angry. The man's message to the minister was, "They (hospital) are trying to cheat us. It has been 36 hours. We are so desperate. They said they will give cylinders but we didn't get cylinders. Why don't they just tell us we can't give you oxygen."

The Minister was standing outside the hospital when the man had complained about the lack of oxygen and responding to him, the minister was heard saying, "If you talk like this, you will get two slaps." While the minister's response had shocked the man, Patel further asked him, "Did anyone deny you an oxygen cylinder?". The man replies, "Yes, they refused. We only got one for five minutes."

The video clip of the minister's intimidation has been going viral on social media with many users voicing against Patel for his threatening fashion to the man who sought the oxygen to treat his mother. However, the minister's office has denied that he had threatened to slap the man. His office has maintained by claiming that the minister was castigating the man for using expletive words. 

The BJP ruling Madhya Pradesh has been one of the states reporting a heavy caseload in the country with Damoh alone recording over 3,000 active COVID-19 cases. Damoh has reported 101 fresh cases in the last 24 hours. In the wake of the exponential cases, Madhya Pradesh has enforced strict restrictions and curfew in several cities to contain the spread of the pandemic as the state battles the second wave. 

Prahlad Singh Patel-Union Minister of Tourism in Modi’s cabinet, loosing his temper on patient’s attendant for asking oxygen shortage, says “will slap you”.

The hands folded to beg vote during poll, crossing limits of arrogance.

Karma won’t spare them.

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— Guruprasad (@gprasd) April 22, 2021