Bhopal: Two days after the video of an alleged affiliate of a Bharatiya Janata Celebration (BJP) chief urinating on a 36-year-old Kol tribal man in Madhya Pradesh’s Sidhi went viral, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan invited the sufferer, Dashmat Rawat, to his Bhopal residence Thursday. The CM then went on to clean Rawat’s ft and apologised to him.
In a video shared by the media, the CM is heard calling Rawat his “brother” and assuring him that each one the wants of his household might be taken care of. In the meantime, the accused, Pravesh Shukla, was booked beneath the stringent Nationwide Safety Act (NSA) and arrested early Thursday, and alleged unlawful building at his home bulldozed. Each the accused and Rawat are residents of Sidhi.
Political observers and senior celebration leaders declare there are three causes behind the CM’s gesture. First, it’s a option to management attainable harm to the BJP’s picture among the many tribals who, in line with tribal division knowledge, account for 22 per cent of the state’s inhabitants. The state is scheduled to carry meeting elections later this yr.
Within the 2018 meeting elections, the BJP gave its worst efficiency on tribal seats normally in recent times, managing to safe solely 16 of the 47 reserved Scheduled Tribe seats, an evaluation of the outcomes present. In each the 2008 and the 2013 elections, the celebration had gained 31 seats every within the area.
Nevertheless, within the Vindhya area, which incorporates the districts of Sidhi, Singrauli, Annupur, Satna and Rewa, with about 12 lakh inhabitants of Kol tribes, in line with the 2011 Census, the celebration had managed to retain 24 of 30 seats within the 2018 meeting elections.
The CM’s gesture can also be being seen as a harm management measure in different poll-bound states the place tribals represent a sizeable a part of the inhabitants, reminiscent of Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, and Telangana.
On the identical time, additionally it is a probable try at projecting the CM as an in a position administrator who is hard on criminals. Chouhan returned as Chief Minister in 2020 with assist from Jyotiraditya Scindia and insurgent MLAs who toppled the then Congress authorities. In his fourth time period, Chouhan is usually seen speaking robust and threatening to “bury the mafia beneath the bottom”.
Quickly after ordering stern motion in opposition to Shukla, the CM’s workplace tweeted, “NSA has been imposed, bulldozer has additionally began and if wanted, Mama ji [as he is often addressed] will bury the criminals 10 ft beneath the bottom. Mama ji‘s message is obvious, so folks with flawed intentions assume 10 instances earlier than committing crimes in Madhya Pradesh.”
एनएसए लगा दिया गया है, बुलडोजर भी चला दिया गया है और अगर जरूरत पड़ी तो मामा जी अपराधियों को 10 फुट जमीन के नीचे भी गाड़ देंगे।
मामाजी का संदेश साफ है, इसलिए गलत मंशा वालों मध्यप्रदेश में अपराध करने से पहले 10 बार सोच लेना। https://t.co/x1SUjRuUGb
— Workplace of Shivraj (@OfficeofSSC) July 5, 2023
In line with political analyst Rasheed Kidwai, nonetheless, whereas the video of the urination incident is unhealthy optics for the BJP, bulldozing the offender’s home may also put the celebration in a good spot because the latter belongs to the higher caste group.
“The CM’s actions won’t work as a ‘Band Assist’ on the entire controversy, particularly in a state like MP the place caste stays deeply entrenched. And with the difficulty being politicised, it’s like to harm the BJP,” he stated.
The Congress, on its half, has known as the CM’s motion “digital camera theatrics”.
Addressing the media quickly after the discharge of the video displaying Chouhan with Rawat, state Congress chief Kamal Nath stated, “If he had such pure intentions, he would have finished it with out the cameras. With cameras on, Chouhan is barely doing theatrics and the tribals won’t forgive him.”
The BJP has been fast to reply to the assault.
Accusing the Congress of enjoying appeasement politics, state BJP chief V.D. Sharma defended the chief minister, saying was merely displaying respect to the tribal man.
“They [the Congress] take a look at the tribals as a vote financial institution, however in Shivpuri, when a Dalit man was harassed by a Muslim (earlier this week), the Congress saved mum. They solely take up points that go well with them politically, whereas the CM has tried to specific his sentiments after the video got here to gentle,” he stated to ThePrint.
“Underneath the BJP’s rule, motion just isn’t taken after taking a look at a prison’s caste or faith, our authorities has a no-tolerance coverage in opposition to all criminals,” he added.
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Past Madhya Pradesh
In the meantime, former Congress minister from Sidhi, Kamleshwar Patel, who had sat on dharna on the sufferer’s home in Sidhi after the urination video went viral, looking for justice for the household, advised ThePrint, “The chief minister summoned Rawat to Bhopal with out informing his household. When the CM spoke to Rawat’s spouse, giving her all types of assurances, all she requested was that her husband be despatched again dwelling safely.”
With the urination incident deeply politicised, Kidwai stated, its ramifications might be felt throughout states reminiscent of Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Telangana, which, like Madhya Pradesh, are scheduled to carry meeting elections later this yr.
The incident additionally comes at a time when the BJP has already suffered a blow in Chhattisgarh, with senior tribal chief Nand Kumar Sai quitting the celebration in Could.
Madhya Pradesh BJP leaders, nonetheless, are assured that it’ll not impression both the celebration’s ballot marketing campaign in different states or the celebration’s tribal outreach programme in MP.
“The BJP’s outreach is thru its dedicated staff who guarantee efficient implementation of welfare schemes… Such sporadic movies that are politicised by the Opposition won’t have an effect on the BJP in MP or another state,” the celebration’s state spokesperson Hitesh Bajpai advised ThePrint.
A senior state BJP chief, talking on situation of anonymity, added, “The CM’s motion [of washing Rawat’s feet] is a political message to the Congress that has been attempting to politicise the difficulty. Via his gesture, the CM is sending out a powerful message that respecting the poor is akin to worship. It is usually a stern message to the chief to take motion in opposition to the offender.”
(Edited by Smriti Sinha)
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