Expressing apologies to the tribal youth on whose face a BJP local leader had publicly urinated, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Thursday washed his feet.
On the directives of the CM, the district administration authorities Sidhi, where the incident took place, brought the victim, Dashmat Rawat, to the CM’s official residence at Bhopal today morning.
Chouhan made the victim sit on a chair while he sat on the floor. He then washed the tribal’s feet placed in a tray with his bare hands and rubbed that water on his forehead.
The chief minister also ate breakfast with Dashmat Rawat. He put a tilak on the tribal man’s forehead and also garlanded him.
The CM presented Dashmat Rawat with a shawl and coconut (shreefal) along with an idol of Lord Ganesha.
Chouhan addressed Dashmat Rawat as ‘Sudama’. “You are now my friend Sudama and will never face any more problems,” the CM assured the tribal man.
CM Chouhan said he was very sad and pained by the inhuman incident with Dashmat Rawat.
“I apologize to you,” the CM told Dashmat Rawat.
Two days ago, a disturbing video had gone viral in which a local BJP leader of Sidhi district, Pravesh Shukla (30), was seen smoking a cigarette while publicly urinating on the face of the hapless Dashmat Rawat who could be seen sitting on a pavement.
The incident had caused nationwide outrage and severe embarrassment to the ruling BJP, which faced brickbats and criticism from the opposition Congress.
The police arrested the accused later that night. He has been booked under various sections of the IPC along with the SC/ST Act.
CM Chouhan had directed the police and administration authorities to slap the National Security Act (NSA) too on Shukla and demolish his house.
Subsequently, Sidhi Collector Saket Malviya imposed the NSA against Shukla and an illegal part of Shukla’s house in his native Kubri village in Sidhi district was bulldozed the next day.
Shukla has been lodged in the Rewa Central jail.