Ahmedabad: A BJP lawmaker in Gujarat was caught on camera thrashing and kicking a woman on a street on Sunday (June 3). All the while, the woman was screaming. The lawmaker was stopped by a man who was forced to him in an obvious bid to stop him.

BJP legislator Balram Thawani is now grabbing headlines for his assault on a woman, Nitu Tejwani, an NCP supporter, who was allegedly participating in a protest demanding water supply in Naroda area of Ahmedabad. Tejwani has filed a complaint against BJP’s Balram Thawani.

A video of the assault has now gone viral on social media and witnesses said that she was already being manhandled by another man when Balram Thawani came out of his office and joined him in beating her.

"I went to meet Balram to discuss the lack of proper water in the area. Without saying anything, he (Balram) came and started slapping and thrashing me. When my husband saw this, he came to my rescue. Immediately, some of Balram's supporters came from inside and started thrashing my husband with sticks. Women who were protesting along with me were also brutally beaten up by Balram and his supporters," she has been quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

Balram Thawani has been quoted in reports as saying that he had hit out "in self-defence", that he was attacked in his office first.

Thawani said that he would apologise to the woman. "I got swayed by emotions, I accept the mistake, it was not intentional. I have been in politics for the last 22 years, such a thing has never happened before. I will say sorry to her," stated Thawani.

The Congress has demanded an apology from the state's ruling BJP. MyNation tried getting in a word from the BJP but they were unavailable for comment.