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MP Urination Row: CM Shivraj Washes Feet Of Dalit Labourer Dashmath Rawat, Says ‘People Are Like God To Me’

News On Time Desk 06 July 2023

Days after Pravesh Shukla, who was accused of urinating on a tribal youth Dashmath Rawat, was arrested by Madhya Pradesh Police, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan visited Rawat and washed his feet at the CM House in Bhopal.

In the viral video from Sidhi, Shukla was seen urinating on the youth, sparking widespread condemnation from many political leaders, including the chief minister. Shukla was arrested on July 5 and the state administration demolished a property owned by him citing that it was an “illegal encroachment”.

Visuals from Thursday showed CM Chouhan washing Rawat’s feet and bestowing him with a garland. The CM further told him, “I was pained to see that video. I apologise to you. People are like a God to me…”

“NSA has been invoked, bulldozer has been moved and if needed, Mama ji will bury criminals 10 feet below the ground. Mama ji’s message is clear, that is why those with ill intentions – think 10 times before committing a crime in Madhya Pradesh,” the CM’s office tweeted on Wednesday.

Dalits and tribals staged a protest at Indore in Madhya Pradesh on Wednesday to condemn the incident.

The protesters, under the banner of Akhil Bharatiya Balai Mahasangh, raised slogans and waved placards alleging increasing atrocities on members of Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) communities in the state.

Talking to reporters during the protest, Mahasangh president Manoj Parmar said, “Pravesh Shukla has brought shame to the entire country by urinating on a tribal youth in Sidhi district. Shukla should be punished severely. If possible, he should be hanged.”