The viral video of AAP MLA Prof Baljinder Kaur being slapped by her husband has re-ignited a debate on domestic abuse, with the legislator facing questions on remaining silent on the issue.
A two-time MLA from Talwandi Sabo, Baljinder is a member of AAP national executive and heads the party’s women wing in Punjab.
The video came on the heels of growing disenchantment with Baljinder Kaur among her constituents over being hard to reach since her wedding to fellow AAP leader Sukhraj Singh Bal, after which she lived for the first year in Amritsar.
Empowering women is not a deterrent to stop violence against women.Shocking to see @BaljinderKaur_ MLA getting slapped in broad day light.Mindset of men has to change.
The problem lies in the perpetrator’s of these acts.Change this male chauvinism attitude more then anything else pic.twitter.com/Qxm6rhrtht— Brinder (@brinderdhillon) September 1, 2022
No complaint filed
Six days after a video of the assault went viral, the police have not taken action so far. Bathinda SSP J Elanchezhian said, “There is no formal complaint so far. We have conveyed to MLA Baljinder Kaur that if she files a complaint, we will register a case.”
Punjab Commission for Women chairperson Manisha Gulati said, “It is unfortunate what happened between Baljinder Kaur and her husband, but now the video has gone viral. Being a public figure, she should stand firm as many people follow her and women commission stands with her.”
Gulati also appealed to women to take a stand if they were abused or harassed at home. She said women don’t speak out because they were emotionally bonded to the families.
Writer-activist Nikita Azad tweeted, “If a woman of Baljinder Kaur’s status does not feel safe enough to lodge a complaint, then how must an ordinary woman feel?”
Bathinda MP Harsimrat Badal also tweeted, “Totally condemn the despicable violence by husband of Talwandi Sabo MLA Baljinder Kaur. We must call out such weaklings who feel superior using violence on women. Her husband must issue a public apology.”
Prior to joining politics, Baljinder was a lecturer of English at Mata Gujri College in Fatehgarh Sahib and she has done MPhil in English.
Villagers said as an MLA, Baljinder resolved many matrimonial disputes in her Assembly segment, but it was sad to see that she was not taking up her own issue.
Villagers are dismayed at the video of the assault on Baljinder by her husband, stressing that she needs to clear the air before it does even more damage. While the video was recorded on July 10, it came into the public eye on September 1. Baljinder did not file any complaint with police.
Both Sukhraj, who now spends a large chunk of his time in the Talwandi Sabo constituency, and Baljinder haven’t commented on the video. A day after the video went viral, as CM Mann visited Talwandi Sabo, Baljinder was with him, but both stayed away from the row.