Another incident of atrocity against tribals reported in MP; Congress demands CM Chouhan's ouster

The Madhya Pradesh Congress, led by state chief Kamal Nath, has gone on the offensive and demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan over a viral video in which a man, identified as a BJP youth wing office bearer, is seen hitting an elderly person with slippers.

The victim has been identified as Barnu Singh Marawi (57), a tribal from Rajendragram in Anuppur district. The incident occurred on September 18 after Bhoma Singh (60), who was riding pillion with Barnu Singh on a motorcycle, was killed in an accident involving the motorcycle and a pickup truck near Jamudi village on the outskirts of Anuppur district headquarters.

Soon, a crowd gathered on the spot and started questioning Barnu Singh who was in a dazed condition. The video that has gone viral shows one person first hitting Singh, throwing him on the ground after which the BJP youth wing leader is seen hitting him with slippers while asking questions.

The person thrashing Singh with slippers was identified as Jaiganesh Dixit, Anuppur (rural) mandal president of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) while the other accused involved in the assault was identified as Jitendra Kushwaha.

Anuppur Superintendent of Police Jitendra Singh Pawar told THE WEEK that an FIR was registered against the two accused on the night of September 18 itself and they were detained. “Further legal process is on,” the SP said.

BJYM is the youth wing of the ruling BJP. District BJP president Ramdas Puri said Dixit has been removed from the post and served a show-cause notice after the incident came to light. “We will also take action of expulsion if he fails to give a proper reply to the notice,” Puri said.

Congress attacks BJP, CM

Meanwhile, the state Congress attacked the BJP government and CM Singh Chouhan over the repeated incidents of assault and insult of tribal people in the state.

Nath said on social media platform X: “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 slippers....When you cannot stop atrocities on tribals, at least resign from the 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 the state number one in the level of cruelty in such incidents.”

Nath further asked: “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. Shivraj ji, please bid farewell now so that Madhya Pradesh gets freedom from this cruelty.”

The poll campaign committee chief of Congress and tribal leader Kantilal Bhuria also attacked the ruling party and the CM and said if Chouhan failed to resign, tribal people would rise against the BJP government.

Later, Madhya Pradesh Congress general secretary in-charge Randeep Surjewala also held a press conference highlighting a number of incidents of atrocities against tribals, including murders during the past one year, and demanded the resignation of CM Chouhan.

BJP says other accused associated with Congress

Talking to THE WEEK, Puri alleged that the other accused, Jitendra Kushwaha, was an active Congress worker and also an office bearer of the backward class cell of the party. He said he would send the details about this association later. “We have immediately taken action against our office bearer, but the Congress is not doing anything,” Puri claimed.

Interestingly, the Anuppur SP too told THE WEEK that Kushwaha was arrested under Section 151 in February this year during a Congress demonstration.

Congress media department chief K.K. Mishra, however, said no Congress worker was involved in the incident and even if anyone was involved, the party still demands strictest action against all accused. “But we want to ask whether the accused in Nemawar, Neemuch, Sidhi and those in murders of tribal people in Vidisha, Gwalior, Chhatarpur and Satna belonged to the Congress. It is clear that the BJP members are involved in well-planned incidents of attack on tribal people and the intention seems to be a clash between tribal and general category people. In most incidents of atrocities against tribals, members of BJP, VHP or RSS are found involved; this cannot be a coincidence,” he said.