Here's a slap that's still resonating in political circles. A school director slapped a minister's staff member last week, for allegedly accepting a hefty bribe for an approval that was still not given. The act that negates talk of a corruption-free government, happened last Friday afternoon at social justice minister Rajkumar Badole's office in Mantralaya.

In the incident, a clerk named Gabhane, who is attached to the minister's set-up, was confronted by Arun Niture, who runs a residential school (ashram shala) in Keshegaon in Osmanabad district. Niture spoke to media persons on Wednesday. He said he had given Badole's personal assistant (named Mane) Rs 10 lakh as a bribe, and also Rs 1.60 lakh to an officer in the minister's office.