Sidhi (Madhya Pradesh): The Madhya Pradesh urination incident and the alleged Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) link of the accused continue to trouble the saffron party in the poll-bound state. Despite chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s act of washing the feet of the victim, another controversy has emerged in the episode, with the victim’s wife alleging that her husband has not come back home since the incident. She says she is worried about his whereabouts and has been having sleepless nights.
In a purported telephonic conversation between the victim’s wife and the chief minister, the former is heard telling Chouhan to send her husband back and that she has “no greed for money“. Chouhan tells her that the family would get a house and monetary help. The audio conversation has gone viral since Wednesday, July 5. The Wire has not been able to independently authenticate the veracity of the conversation.
Order Copy of the Sidhi District Magistrate invoking National Security Act (1980) of Sections 3 (2) against the accused.
The controversy began with a viral video emerging on Tuesday, July 4, that showed a man urinating on the face of a tribal man, Dashmat Rawat. Rawat is a member of the Kol community, designated as a tribal community in the state. The video triggered widespread public outrage, with the opposition targeting the Chouhan government that the accused is an active BJP member.
Responding to the outcry, the Madhya Pradesh Police arrested the accused, Pravesh Shukla, charging him with Sections 294 and 504 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), and under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The police also slapped the National Security Act (NSA) against Shukla.
After his arrest, the authorities also demolished his house, sending out a ‘strong message’, and also to not let the opposition target the government over any perceived inaction.
The chief minister went a step further by inviting Rawat to his house and washing his feet and felicitating in an ‘act of remorse’. The act was videographed and widely circulated by the Madhya Pradesh government as well as by the BJP. Rawat dined with the chief minister, and they together later planted saplings.
यह वीडियो मैं आपके साथ इसलिए साझा कर रहा हूँ कि सब समझ लें कि मध्यप्रदेश में शिवराज सिंह चौहान है, तो जनता भगवान है।
किसी के साथ भी अत्याचार बर्दाश्त नहीं किया जायेगा। राज्य के हर नागरिक का सम्मान मेरा सम्मान है। pic.twitter.com/vCuniVJyP0
Advertisement— Shivraj Singh Chouhan (@ChouhanShivraj) July 6, 2023
Rawat, when asked about the incident, commented, “What to say, nothing now. Whatever happened, had happened.”
Meanwhile, the state leadership of the BJP has set up an ‘inquiry committee’ to probe into the incident. The party says that the committee will carry out a thorough investigation into the incident. Ram Lal Routel, chairman of the State Kol Tribal Development Authority and a BJP leader, has been designated as the committee’s head. BJP legislators Sharad Kol and Amar Singh, and the party’s deputy state president Kantadev Singh will be part of the committee.
Notification by the State BJP party on the formation of a committee.
Accused’s links to the BJP
In a compelling revelation, it becomes increasingly difficult to ignore the abundant photographic evidence on social media platforms, such as Facebook, linking the accused Pravesh Shukla to the BJP, and his active participation in the BJP events.
What further strengthens these ties is the presence of numerous images online featuring the accused alongside a BJP MLA from Sidhi district, Kedarnath Shukla.
While there is mounting evidence to confirm the links between the accused and the BJP, Kedarnath Shukla is seen in a video vociferously defending the accused. The MLA suggests that the entire episode is part of a “grand conspiracy” hatched by the Congress party in the state.
Several BJP workers and supporters rallied behind the accused, trying to convey that Parvesh Shukla is being framed just because he is a BJP member. Another video featuring the wife of the accused, in which she says her husband is committed to “wholeheartedly serving” BJP MLA, Kedarnath Shukla, and the party.
Accused Pravesh Shukla with MLA Kedarnath Shukla (centre).
Photographs available on Facebook where the accused is seen sitting alongside the MLA of the district.With the rising outrage, Kedarnath Shukla, in a series of interviews to multiple media outlets, sought to convey that he has no links whatsoever with the accused. While defending his earlier statements of Congress being behind what he calls a “conspiracy”, he asserted that the accused is neither linked to him nor to the party.
Photographs taken from Facebook where the cover page of the accused’s account shows him with the MLA.
A noteworthy development has also emerged in the ongoing case, with affidavits submitted by the accused and his acquaintances shedding light on the emerging situation. These affidavits present a narrative in which the accused allegedly exerted immense pressure on the victim, compelling him to produce an affidavit denouncing the authenticity of the viral video.
The contents of these affidavits suggest a disturbing possibility of coercion and manipulation. With the truth now beginning to surface, it is imperative that a thorough investigation is needed to get to the depth of the matter. Furthermore, it raises concerns about the potential for more instances of harassment to come to light in the future.
BJP’s outreach to the Kol community
In a bid to secure the support of the influential Kol community to which the victim belongs, the party has recently organised two significant events aimed at garnering their votes ahead of the upcoming state Assembly elections later this year. The community has long associated itself with the BJP.
According to the 2011 Census, the Kol community has a population of over 11.67 lakh in the state and wields significant political influence in more than two dozen Assembly seats in the region. The victim, belonging to a “minority class,” hails from the same village as the accused, which has resulted in the victim’s family hesitating to file a complaint due to fear and lack of support.
Shedding light on the matter, Pawan Singh, the in-charge of Bahri Police Station where the incident took place, stated that upon discovering the viral video on Tuesday, July 4, the police took immediate action by registering a suo motu FIR under multiple sections of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Furthermore, they have forwarded the case for consideration of invoking the provisions of the National Security Act (NSA) against the accused.
These developments highlight the complexities and sensitivities surrounding the interplay of politics, social dynamics, and legal mechanisms within the region. As the state Assembly elections draw near, the BJP’s efforts to court the support of the Kol community may face challenges in light of such incidents, which have the potential to impact their standing among various voter groups.
