NEW DELHI: The Scheduled Tribe (ST) front of the Congress has announced that it will organise a nationwide protest against the ghastly act of a BJP worker urinating on a tribal youth from Sidhi district of Madhya Pradesh.
All India Adivasi Congress (AIAC) chairman Shivajirao Moghe said the act of accused Pravesh Shukla of urinating while smoking on a minor tribal boy is a highly condemnable, non-tolerable, cruel and inhuman act.
Talking to media persons in the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters in the national capital on Wednesday, Moghe alleged that it has become the habit of the BJP to insult the STs. Earlier, they did not allow President Droupadi Murmu to inaugurate the new Parliament building, he alleged.
The Congress leader said they will present a memorandum to the President and SC/ST Commission.
“We will organise nationwide demonstrations on July 7 and 8 to protest the incident,” he added.
Earlier, Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also condemned the horrific incident.
In a tweet in Hindi, Rahul said, “Atrocities on tribal brothers and sisters are increasing in the BJP rule. The entire humanity has been put to shame by the inhuman crime of a BJP leader in Madhya Pradesh. This is the disgusting face and real character of BJP's hatred towards tribals and Dalits!”
Priyanka, in her tweet, also in Hindi, said, “The inhuman and disgusting act done by a close friend of the BJP MLA to a tribal youth in Madhya Pradesh is extremely shameful. During the 18 years of BJP rule in the state, 30,400 cases of atrocities on tribals have come to the fore. In the BJP rule, there are only hollow claims and hollow words about tribal interests. Why doesn't the government take real steps to stop atrocities on tribals?”
While the Madhya Pradesh government has initiated action against Shukla, the opposition has demanded stricter action against the culprit.
Taking cognisance of the matter, MP chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, in a couple of tweets, said, “A viral video of Sidhi district has come to my notice. I have instructed the administration to arrest the culprit and take strict action and also impose NSA (National Security Act).”
Chouhan further said, “A criminal is only a criminal, he does not have any caste, religion or party. I have given instructions regarding the direct case, the accused will be punished in such a way that it becomes an example. We will not leave him at any cost.”
The incident is believed to have taken place several days or even months ago. The accused, Pravesh Shukla, was arrested on Tuesday and several provisions of IPC, including NSA and SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act have been imposed on him.
MP Congress president Kamal Nath has demanded strictest punishment to the alleged BJP worker Pravesh Shukla. “A video of the brutality of urinating on a tribal youth from Sidhi district of the state has come to the fore. There is no place in a civilised society for such a heinous and fallen act with the youth of the tribal society. It is alleged that the person urinating is said to be associated with the Bharatiya Janata Party.”
Nath went on to say: “Madhya Pradesh is already number one in tribal atrocities. This incident has put the entire Madhya Pradesh to shame. I demand from the chief minister that strictest punishment should be given to the guilty person and the atrocities on tribals in Madhya Pradesh should be ended.”
MP Congress alleged that Pravesh Shukla, was the representative of the ruling party’s Sidhi MLA Kedarnath Shukla. The BJP and Kedarnath Shukla have denied that the accused was the MLA's representative.
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati also condemned the incident and demanded a more strict punishment for the guilty person.
In a series of tweets in Hindi, she said, “In Madhya Pradesh's Sidhi district, the incident of a local domineering leader urinating on an Adivasi/ Dalit youth is very shameful, the inhuman act which is condemned is the least. The government waking up only after its video went viral proves their involvement, this is also very sad.”
She also said, “In this regard, the BJP government of Madhya Pradesh should take action against that criminal not only by NSA but by confiscating/ demolishing his property, leaving aside the idea of saving the criminal and not telling him that he belongs to his party. Such incidents bring shame to everyone.”
