A footage, in which a man can be seen urinating on another man, a tribal youth, surfaced online on the evening of July 4.
While the incident took place in the past, the accused, Pravesh Shukla, was booked on Tuesday under the stringent National Security Act and relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 after the video went viral and Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan took cognisance of it.
What caused Mr. Shukla to mete out the humiliating treatment to the victim (name withheld) is unclear.
Earlier, Congress leaders shared the footage and a picture of Mr. Shukla with BJP leaders and claimed that he too was a BJP functionary.
“Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan has taken cognizance of the purported viral video showing a man urinating on another man. The CM has directed the relevant authorities to take strict action in the matter. The CM has also stated that the culprit should not be spared and NSA will also be imposed on him. The video is said to be from Sidhi district of the State,” Madhya Pradesh Congress spokesperson Abbas Hafeez tweeted.
Meanwhile, the BJP has distanced itself from Mr. Shukla.
“The person named Pravesh Shukla has nothing to do with the Bharatiya Janata Party. The Bharatiya Janata Party will always oppose every heinous act that will be done against the tribal society. BJP MP demands strictest action against this person,” BJP media in-charge Ashish Agarwal tweeted.
The State administration is yet to comment on the issue.
