SC stays arrest of Congress MLA Shakuntala Khatik

The Supreme Court in its interim order on Friday stayed the arrest of Congress MLA Shakuntala Khatik after hearing an application moved by her for anticipatory bail in connection of charges of inciting a mob and other sections to resort to violence.

The Apex Court has also allowed her to vote in the Presidential Election which is on July 17.

On June 13, an FIR was registered against Shakuntala Khatik and another Congress leader Venus Goyal in the Karera Police Station on charges of inciting a mob.

A day before, the Congress' Shivpuri MLA brushed aside the allegation of inciting violence during farmers protest in Mandsaur district of Madhya Pradesh.

"I didn't instigate the workers. Would they have remained silent, had I asked them to do so?" Khatik told ANI.

Khatik further said that she only told the police officers that they shouldn't sit in the police station and go ahead to set it on fire, if they can't ensure women safety.

A video of the Congress MLA had surfaced showing her purportedly inciting party workers and farmers to torch a police station during the farmers protest.

The Congress leader was seen in the video repeatedly inciting people to accompany her to burn down the nearby police station, whereas a police official was seen requesting the MLA to calm down.

Following the video, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) demanded MLA's arrest and cornered the Congress asking party vice-president Rahul Gandhi to apologise for the irresponsible behaviour of his party leader.

-ANI