Under attack over his alleged slapping of a rural bank manager, Congress MP M Jagannath tendered an unconditional apology on Thursday to the victim following which the bank union called off their stir.
    
"I have no personal grudge against Ravinder Reddy, the rural bank manager. It was an unfortunate incident. The truth would come out later. However, I tender unconditional apology to him and bankers to put an end to this. I don't want to put the people to inconvenience due to the bank union's agitation," Jagannath told reporters in Delhi.
    
The MP from Nagarkurnool is in the national capital to meet Congress President Sonia Gandhi and AICC General Secretary, in-charge of Andhra Pradesh affairs, Veerappa Moily to explain his position over the issue. Jagannath, who was caught on camera slapping Ravinder Reddy, the branch manager of Andhra Pradesh Grameena Vikas Bank at Uppununtala, Mahabubnagar district, was summoned by the Congress high command to Delhi.
    
Taking a serious view of the MP's action, the Congress leadership obtained a report from state Congress President D Srinivas. The MP, however, defended himself yesterday, saying he did not intend to assault the bank officer. "I was told he was not disbursing the loan amounts to SC/ST beneficiaries. When I asked him the reasons, he challenged me to come to the bank to settle the scores. He spoke very provocatively. I wanted to make him see reason. When I tried to put my hand on his shoulder, he pulled back. My hand happened to touch his cheek. It gave an impression that I slapped him," the MP had said.
    
Acting on a complaint by the manager, police at Uppununtala registered a case against the MP on various charges, including assault, insult and attacking a public servant while discharging his duties. A counter case was filed against the manager by some alleged supporters of the MP under the stringent Prevention of Atrocities Against SC/STs, Act.
    
Strongly protesting the incident, the rural bank employees union launched a series of agitation and stopped disbursal of agricultural loans. The Andhra Pradesh Regional Rural Banks Employees Association welcomed the apology tendered by the MP and called off its agitation. "We welcome the unconditional apology tendered by the MP. We have decided to call off our agitation," B Ravikant, President of the association, told PTI.
    
The union said it would forward its representation to Congress chief, PM Manmohan Singh, Lok Sabha Speaker Meira
Kumar and the Ethics Committee of Parliament.