3 min readBhopalUpdated: Sep 21, 2023 07:51 AM IST
A video of an office bearer of BJP’s youth wing allegedly hitting an elderly tribal man with slippers, next to the body of another tribal man who had died in an accident, has prompted outrage from the opposition Congress in Madhya Pradesh, which attacked the ruling BJP government for being “anti-tribal”.
According to the police, the incident took place on September 18 after Bhoma Singh (60) was killed in an accident involving a motorcycle he was driving and a pickup truck. The pillion rider, Barnu Singh Marawi (57), was allegedly assaulted by the accused, Jaiganesh Dixit, the Anuppur (rural) mandal president of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM).
“A crowd had gathered and they started questioning the injured pillion driver, who was dazed and recovering. He was still in shock and could not answer them. Jaiganesh Singh and another accused, Jitendra Kushwaha, also questioned Marawi, and when he was unable to answer, they allegedly assaulted him. The accused have been detained and appropriate legal action is being taken,” said a senior police officer.
A video of the incident went viral following which Dixit was removed from his post. District BJP yuva morcha president Ravindra Rathore, in a letter to the accused, wrote, “The said act done by you, which has gone viral on social media (and) due to which the image of the party has been tarnished, comes in the category of gross indiscipline. Therefore, you are relieved from responsibility of the party’s board president (Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha Anuppur Rural) with immediate effect.”
The Congress attacked the state government and CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan over what they said were repeated attacks on tribals in the state. This incident comes after a tribal man in Sidhi was urinated on by a man with BJP links in July this year, which set off a political firestorm after which Chouhan washed man’s feet.
In a post on social media website, X, Congress leader Kamal Nath wrote: “Shivraj Singh Chouhan ji, you cannot ignore this gruesome video. Next to the dead body of a tribal man in Anuppur district, a BJP leader is seen beating another tribal man with slipper. When you cannot stop atrocities on tribals, at least resign from post of CM. The hypocrisy of washing feet cannot atone for your cruel rule. You have not only made Madhya Pradesh number one in atrocities against tribals, but have also made state number one in level of cruelty in such incidents.”
“Have you given license to BJP workers to commit atrocities against tribals? A tribal daughter and five family members are buried alive in Nemawar. In Neemuch, a tribal youth was tied to a vehicle and dragged to death. A tribal youth in Sidhi was urinated upon. And every time, the person committing atrocities against tribals is either a leader of BJP or someone associated with it,” he wrote.
