On Tuesday, a video circulating on social media of a man urinating on a tribal labourer in Madhya Pradesh sparked outrage and a call for action. The culprit, identified to be Pravesh Shukla has since been arrested and the National Security Act(NSA) has been invoked on him.
Photo: ANI
As per the police statement, numerous teams were deployed to locate Shukla, as he had reportedly been continuously changing his location. He was arrested late last night and is presently undergoing interrogation by the police.
Apart from invoking the National Security Act (NSA), the police have also filed charges under sections 294 (related to obscene acts), 504 (about intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) of the Indian Penal Code, and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against the accused.
The video, which was recorded approximately three months ago, prompted Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan to demand action.
Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan expressed that the viral video from Sidhi district has come to his notice and issued instructions to arrest the perpetrator and take stringent measures, including the application of the National Security Act (NSA).
Furthermore, the Congress party has made allegations claiming that Shukla is linked to BJP’s Sidhi MLA, Kedarnath Shukla.
A photo of the two individuals, Pravesh Shukla and Kedar Shukla has surfaced on social media and was shared by Pravesh on his Facebook account. However, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has explicitly denied any connection with Pravesh Shukla. BJP leader Ashish Agarwal took to Twitter to state that Pravesh Shukla is not associated with the party, and the party condemns any heinous acts committed against tribals.
Kedar Shukla, when asked about the claims that Pravesh is his representative, denied having any representatives named Pravesh. He clarified that he has three representatives, but Pravesh is not one of them. Kedar Shukla also disavowed any knowledge of posters circulated on social media that depict Pravesh as his representative.
He asserted that there are no such posters in the city (Sidhi), and he plans to file a complaint against Pravesh if he finds evidence of him misusing his name on social media. Kedar Shukla, however, did admit to knowing Pravesh but denied any association with him as his representative.
Tribal youth silenced by being forced to sign an affidavit
Amidst widespread outrage surrounding the incident, an affidavit has emerged, signed by Pale Kol, the tribal man seen in the video. The affidavit claims that the video was fabricated and circulated by one Adarsh Shukla and his supporters. According to reports, the tribal labourer was allegedly coerced into signing the document after the video went viral.
In the affidavit, Pale Kol states, “The video and its contents are entirely false, and Pravesh Shukla did not engage in any such behaviour with me.” It appears that the labourer is in a state of fear and does not wish to file a formal complaint regarding the matter.
The video has drawn severe criticism from opposition leaders in Madhya Pradesh. Former Chief Minister Kamal Nath condemned the act, stating that such heinous and deplorable actions have no place in a civilized society. He further demanded an end to atrocities against tribals in the state.
Madhya Pradesh Youth Congress President and tribal leader, Vikrant Bhuria, expressed his shame and dismay over the incident, considering it a reflection of the abhorrent behaviour displayed.
BSP supremo Mayawati expressed her opinion, stating that the Madhya Pradesh BJP government should not only pursue action against the criminal through the NSA but should also consider confiscating or demolishing his property. She emphasized the importance of not trying to shield the criminal by associating him with any political party. Mayawati stressed that incidents like these bring disgrace to society as a whole.
