The ruling BJP in Madhya Pradesh faced severe criticism from the Opposition Congress over the arrest and alleged manhandling of Dalit Congress MLA Dr. Vijaylaxmi Sadho by police at Maheshwar before the arrival of Governor Dr Mangubhai Patel and CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan to attend a ‘Laadli Behna’ function there on Ambedkar Jayanti on Friday.
Dr. Vijaylaxmi Sadho alleged that a woman constable held her by the neck and pushed her into a police jeep in the process of arresting her.
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In some pictures of the incident available on the internet, a woman constable is seen with her hand on former Congress minister Dr Sadho’s neck trying to push her into the police jeep.
The Congress launched a blistering attack on the BJP and Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan alleging that if such a senior Dalit MLA is subjected to such police brutality in MP, the situation of the general public could be easily gauged.
Dr. Vijaylaxmi Sadho said not just her neck was throttled but democracy and the voice of women was strangulated. Taking a dig on CM Chouhan, she said one of his ‘laadli behna’ was subjected to police brutality for no reason.
The Congress MLA from Maheshwar was about to meet Maheshwar with a large number of supporters displaying placards with various demands. Her demands included setting up of a medical college, at the road from where the convoy of the governor and the CM had to cross on its way to the laadli behna and Ambedkar Jayanti function.
However, the police forcibly removed the MLA and her supporters from the spot and it was during the ensuing confrontation with the police that the MLA was arrested along with her supporters and she was allegedly manhandled by a police lady constable.
MP Congress President Kamal Nath charged the BJP government with anti-Dalit and anti-woman mindset which, he said, has been exposed by the way police mistreated and arrested Dr. Vijaylaxmi Sadho.
