NEW DELHI: The opposition has dubbed the washing of feet on Thursday by Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan of a tribal man from Sidhi who was a victim of a urination incident as “theatrics”, “drama” and “photo opportunity”.
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) president Mayawati said, “The chief minister of Madhya Pradesh calling the victim of urination incident in Sidhi district to Bhopal, about 600 kilometers away, and washing his feet in the CM House under the camera glare, seems less like government remorse and more like theatrics and politics of electoral interest. Is such an exhibition appropriate?”
She further said, “Since the general elections to the Madhya Pradesh assembly are round the corner, it is natural for the government to be so restless. But the lives of people – especially the SC (Scheduled Caste), ST (Scheduled Tribe), Other Backward Classes (OBC) and Muslim communities, as well as the people of the entire society – have been troubled so much by inflation and unemployment in the entire state that they will definitely demand an account from the government.”
Madhya Pradesh Congress president Kamal Nath said the horrific incident was a reflection of the condition of the tribal population in the state. “The incident that took place in Sidhi district has tarnished Madhya Pradesh’s image in the whole country. This incident tells what is the condition of tribal society and whose population is is maximum in the state.”
He said the law and order and justice for the tribal people was pathetic in MP after 18 years of Shivraj government. “CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan only needed the camera. if his mind was clear, he would not have called the camera persons. This camera drama has been going on for the last 18 years. But now it is not going to work. The tribal society will never forgive Chouhan,” he added.
Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate alleged that the cases of atrocities against the tribal people in MP have been on the increase. She alleged that MP is “number one” in the cases of atrocities against tribal people.
She alleged that atrocities have taken place against 30,400 tribal people during your reign. Cases have increased year by year. In 2019, it was 1,922; in 2020, it increased to 2,401 and in 2021, it was 2,627, she said.
Shrinate said, “Far from washing the feet, you have not even taken any information about the rest of the victims. The public is well aware of this hypocrisy of yours - prepare to leave.”
Earlier, amid nationwide outrage over the incident where a man urinated on a tribal’s face in MP’s Sidhi, Chouhan apologised to the victim when he came to meet him at CM house in Bhopal on Thursday morning.
Expressing regret over the incident, the chief minister said that he is overwhelmed with anguish and apologies for it. The chief minister also washed the feet of the victim, offered him a shawl and an idol of Lord Ganesha. Chouhan spoke with the victim’s wife over phone and offered apologies to her as well.
Chouhan tweeted a video of it with the message: “This is an attempt to share your pain. I also apologize to you. For me, public is God… I am sharing this video with you so that everyone should understand that Shivraj Singh Chouhan is in Madhya Pradesh, so the public is God. Atrocities against anyone will not be tolerated. The respect of every citizen of the state is my respect.”
Later, the CM planted a sapling with the victim. The CM talked to him about his family, asked whether his children are going to school and whether the family is getting benefits of welfare schemes like ‘Ladli Laxmi’ and ‘Ladli Behna’. The victim nodded ‘yes’.
When Chouhan asked the victim how he makes a living, he told the chief minister that he works as a porter at the krishi mandi in Kubri village.
Pravesh Shukla, the man seen urinating on him in a viral video, was arrested in the wee hours of Wednesday and a part of his ancestral home was demolished. The Congress and several social media users have dug up what they say is proof of Shukla’s BJP membership and his photos and posters with BJP leaders, including Sidhi MLA Kedarnath Shukla. The lawmaker has denied that the accused is a BJP member or his representative.
