Chhattisgarh Minister Kedar Kashyap Accused of Assaulting Contractual Employee in Bastar

Raipur: A controversy has erupted in Chhattisgarh after a contractual employee at a government guest house in Bastar district accused state Forest Minister Kedar Kashyap of verbal abuse and physical assault—allegations strongly denied by the BJP leader.

The incident has sparked a political storm, with the Congress party demanding Kashyap’s removal from the cabinet and registration of an FIR.

Complaint Filed Against Minister

Khitendra Pandey, 36, a daily wage cook at the Circuit House in Jagdalpur, lodged a complaint at Kotwali police station on Saturday night.
Bastar SP Shalabh Sinha confirmed, “We have received the complaint and initiated an enquiry.”

Employee’s Allegations

Speaking to the media, Pandey claimed the minister assaulted him for allegedly not unlocking guest rooms.
“I have been working here for 20 years. Around 7:30 pm, while I was preparing snacks for the minister, his security officer called me. When I went, the minister started abusing me, grabbed my collar, and hit me. His assistant later intervened,” Pandey alleged.
He added that all rooms were already open and said the incident worsened his health condition as he suffers from paralysis.

Minister Denies Charges

Kedar Kashyap dismissed the allegations as “baseless and politically motivated.”
“The Congress is spreading false propaganda. Nothing like this happened,” he said. In a social media post, Kashyap added, “Our workers are like deities to me, and their insult is intolerable.”

Political Reactions

Former CM Bhupesh Baghel shared a video of Pandey’s statement and demanded strict action.
“Kedar Kashyap abused and assaulted a Class IV employee. The BJP should seek his resignation, and he must apologize publicly,” Baghel said, urging PM Modi to sack the minister.

State Congress chief Deepak Baij echoed the demand for Kashyap’s dismissal and FIR registration.
“If a minister behaves like this with Class IV staff, what will happen to common citizens? The Congress stands with Pandey,” Baij said.

The Congress announced statewide protests on Sunday, including effigy burning, to press for Kashyap’s removal.