Indore: Dalits and tribals staged a protest at Indore in Madhya Pradesh on Wednesday to condemn the incident in which a man allegedly urinated on a tribal youth in Sidhi district of the state. The protesters, under the banner of Akhil Bharatiya Balai Mahasangh, raised slogans and waved placards alleging that atrocities on members of Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) communities in the state were increasing.
Police on Wednesday arrested Pravesh Shukla, who is accused of urinating on a tribal youth in Sidhi district. Action under the stringent National Security Act (NSA) was also initiated. A video of the incident went viral on social media platforms on Tuesday, following which the police registered a case against him.
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." People belonging to SC and ST communities in the state are still facing atrocities due to caste discrimination, he alleged.
"We are saddened not due to the citizens of Syria, Pakistan and Afghanistan, but by the perverted mentality and atrocities of people in our own country who consider themselves superior because of their birth in the so-called upper caste," he said. Strictest action should be taken against all such people so that there is a sense of harmony in the Hindu community, he demanded.
During another protest in the city over the Sidhi incident, Youth Congress activists hanged the effigy of accused Shukla. The protest was held in front of the statue of Tantya Bhil, a martyred freedom fighter who is revered among tribals. Youth Congress city president Rameez Khan alleged Shukla's association with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He said Shukla's despicable act shows the feelings and respect the ruling BJP has for the tribal community. (PTI)
