Union Minister Supriyo flays Hema

‘Actor-politician made a ‘brutal mistake’ to have left the child unattended after the accident’

New Delhi: The family of the two-year-old girl who was killed in an accident has received unlikely support from a BJP MP and union minister.

Union minister Babul Supriyo has come on record saying that actor-politician Hema Malini made a "brutal mistake" to have left the child unattended after the accident.

This is the first time a BJP leader has been openly critical of Hema Malini after the accident last week involving her Mercedes car, in which a two-year-old girl was killed.

Supriyo's comments came a day after Hema Malini provoked sharp criticism for tweets in which she blamed the father of the child, who was driving a Maruti Alto, for violating traffic rules. The father, who is still recuperating in hospital after the accident has maintained his daughter could have been saved if the Hema Malini had helped her and taken her to hospital. Supriyo told NDTV, "It was a brutal error on part of everyone who was there on the scene, the accident scene, including Hemaji, to have left the child back there on the road. That's a brutal mistake. Let's accept that." He was equally critical that girl was sitting on her mother's lap in the front seat, which he said, put her at risk.

Hema Malini, has been attacked by critics for leaving the accident site in Dausa without reaching out to the family or offering help.

On Wednesday, Hema Malini had tweeted: "My heart goes out to the child who unnecessarily lost her life and the family members who have been injured in the accident. How I wish the girl's father had followed the traffic rules - thn this accident could have been averted & the lil one's life safe!"