He said prima facie it appears (on tape) that what was shown perhaps happened. "He challenged me to come to the bank. I wanted to put my hand on his shoulder but he pulled back. In the process, my hand happened to touch his cheek," Jagannath said in Hyderabad trying to suggest that if there was anything physical it was by mistake.

He said he did not intend to slap the bank manager who, he claimed was not disbursing loan amounts to the SC/ST beneficiaries.

The MP, who said he will meet party president Sonia Gandhi on Thursday, claimed he was treated with disrespect because he was a Dalit.

The MP alleged that the manager gave an improper reply when he called him up during a meeting of the mandal officials and public representatives to find out the reasons for not distributing the loans.

The AP Regional Rural Banks Employees Association (APRRBEA) stepped up its protests in eight districts of the state, where it operates.

"We are organising protests in 8 districts. Other PSU banks like SBI, Andhra Bank have expressed solidarity with us. We are submitting a memorandum to the Mahabubnagar district Collector," an Association spokesman said.

Describing the incident as "most unfortunate", Law Minister M Veerappa Moily said he did not think anybody, more so a member of Parliament, could indulge in such an act.

"It is most unfortunate. I don't think anybody should indulge in such things...Members of Parliament should be more responsible and he should not have done it," Moily said in New Delhi.