Congress worker smashes smart meter in public, video goes viral

Balaghat (The Uttam Hindu): Protests against the smart meters being installed by the electricity department in the district have turned violent. In Lalbarra town, a Congress worker smashed a new smart meter with a stick and threw it to the ground in a crowded market. A video of the incident is rapidly going viral on social media, prompting police to file a case against the accused for damaging government property.

According to reports, employees of the electricity distribution company, under the direction of Senior Engineer Sarfaraz Qureshi, had arrived at the Lalbarra headquarters to install smart meters at shops. Meanwhile, local Congress worker Manish Kushwaha, along with some other shopkeepers, began protesting.

When officials insisted on installing the meter, Manish Kushwaha became enraged. He snatched a new smart meter, threw it to the ground at the market square, and then broke it by beating it with a stick. A bystander filmed the incident, which has now gone viral.

Local shopkeepers and residents fear that the installation of smart meters will result in significantly higher electricity bills. They are demanding that the old meters remain in place and are protesting the installation of new meters.

Based on a complaint from Sarfaraz Qureshi, a senior engineer with the Electricity Department, the Lalbarra police station has registered a case against the accused, Manish Kushwaha. In its complaint, the department also stated that the meter breakage caused a loss of ₹9,000. Police are now investigating the matter based on the viral video. However, the Congress worker's method of protest is being criticized.