A Tripura minister seen on video groping a female ministerial colleague on stage in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has landed in a major controversy with the opposition demanding that he be fired and charged with sexual harassment.
Tripura's opposition Left Front on Monday demanded that minister Monoj Kanti Deb be sacked for "touching" the woman in an "indecent manner" during a rally in Agartala on Saturday that was also attended by Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Deb.
NDTV cannot independently verify the authenticity of the video.
When contacted, the minister declined to comment on the incident. The ruling BJP, however, dismissed the charge, hitting out at the Left Front for "character assassination".
"Monoj Kanti Deb must be sacked and be arrested for touching the woman minister in an extremely indecent manner on the stage from where Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb and others addressed the public gathering," Left Front convener Bijan Dhar told the media.