Congress leader and former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kamal Nath on Thursday attacked CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan over the urination incident in the state that sparked massive outrage.
“The incident in Sidhi has left a blot on Madhya Pradesh,” he said. “This shows the condition of the tribal communities, which are in maximum numbers in the state…The entire state is watching the treatment given to the tribal and the backward.”
Kamal Nath’s comments came hours after Shivraj Singh Chouhan washed the feet of the tribal man Dashmat Rawat, on whom the accused had urinated in an inebriated state. The chief minister also shared a video on social media of him washing the victim’s feet.
The chief minister wrote in Hindi, “I am sharing this video with you so that everyone understands that the public is God when Shivraj Singh Chouhan is in Madhya Pradesh… Atrocities with anyone will not be tolerated. The respect of every citizen of the state is my respect.”
Kamal Nath said, “CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan is trying to wash off his deeds of the past 18 years. He thinks that the tribal community will forgive him. Tribal communities will never forgive him.”
The urination incident took place in the Sidhi district of the BJP-ruled state. The accused was arrested after a purported video of the act surfaced online and charged under several provisions of the law, including the stringent National Security Act.
The Congress leader said that “only 10% of cases come to the fore” and this is one such incident. “This is only one such incident. Only 10% of cases come to the fore. No matter how many feet he washes…He who has a clear soul doesn’t need a camera,” Kamal Nath told reporters.
Earlier on Wednesday, the state administration also demolished a portion of a house belonging to the 30-year-old leader, hours after he was arrested and booked under the National Security Act for urinating on the tribal man.
“One-third part of the house, i.e. around 400 sqft, which was constructed illegally, has been demolished,” said Sidhi sub-divisional magistrate Nilamber Mishra.
(With inputs from agencies)
