Hyderabad: Hyderabad Police Commissioner K. Sreenivas Reddy has suspended an Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) of police for hugging BJP's Hyderabad Lok Sabha seat candidate K. Madhavi Latha.

In a video, widely circulated on social media, ASI Uma Devi of Saidabad Police Station was seen shaking hands with Madhavi Latha and hugging her.

The police officer in uniform was on duty when the BJP leader was campaigning in an area under the limits of Saidabad Police Station.

The Police Commissioner suspended the police officer for violating the Model Code of Conduct.

Madhavi Latha stirred a row last week with her alleged provocative gesture of shooting an imaginary arrow at a mosque during a procession taken out on Ram Navami.

Police booked her for hurting the religious sentiments of a community through her provocative gesture.

The case was lodged against her at Begum Bazar Police Station on a complaint by one Shaik Imran.

She has been booked under section 295-A (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) and 125 of the Representation of the People Act.

(IANS)