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BJP, Uddhav camp in war of words over Sidhi unination case: ‘…half baked claim’

A video of Pravesh Shukla, allegedly abusing a tribal man and later urinating on him in an inebriated state has gone viral, sparking online outrage.

Published on: Jul 5, 2023, 19:09:07 IST
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Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi and BJP leader Khushbu Sundar on Wednesday engaged in a political slugfest over the political affiliation of the accused in the urination case in Madhya Pradesh's Sidhi that sparked massive outrage.

The Sidhi police booked Pravesh Shukla under multiple provisions after a video of the incident emerged (PTI/Videograb) (HT_PRINT)
The Sidhi police booked Pravesh Shukla under multiple provisions after a video of the incident emerged (PTI/Videograb) (HT_PRINT)

Read here: Madhya Pradesh urination case accused Pravesh Shukla's properties bulldozed

The Sena (UBT) leader claimed that the accused, Pravesh Shukla, is a member of the BJP.

She tweeted, “Pravesh Shukla, a BJP office bearer has displayed the attitude and symptoms that prevail across the nation since the advent of BJP. Create a divide, keep the society unequal, look and treat the marginalised with contempt, make their life more difficult. Shame on him and shame the bhajapa culture that promotes such behaviour. Hope he gets the harshest punishment for his act.”

Actor-turned-politician Khushbu Sundar, however, criticised Chaturvedi for “going with the flow” over the alleged claims. She said, “He is not a BJP office bearer my friend. Very unfortunate to see you go with the flow.”

To this, Chaturvedi responded, "Dear Khushbu, I don’t indulge in ‘going with the flow’ tweets, unfortunate for you to accuse me of that. You should check with your Madhya Pradesh office before tweeting this half baked claim. Thank you."

Read here: 'Forced me to sign affidavit that peeing video is fake’: Madhya Pradesh tribal man to cops

Claims over Shukla's association with BJP:

After the video went viral, Congress alleged that the accused is an associate of BJP MLA from Sidhi, Kedarnath Shukla — a charge the ruling party has denied.

"Madhya Pradesh is already number one in tribal atrocities. This incident has put the entire Madhya Pradesh to shame. I demand to give strict punishment to the accused," MP Congress chief Kamal Nath said.

Kedarnath Shukla, however, rebutted the claim saying that he knew Pravesh Shukla as a local resident but insisted that the accused had never been his representative or a part of the BJP. "Pravesh was never a representative of mine. I just know him," he said.

Read here: Madhya Pradesh man seen urinating on labourer arrested; father claims Pravesh Shukla's BJP connection

Amid the outrage, Pravesh's father Ramakant Shukla reportedly claimed that his son is the representative of the BJP MLA.

"He is a representative of the BJP MLA, which is why he is being targeted by the opposition. I hope there is a thorough investigation in the case, and justice is served," India Today quoted Ramakant as saying.

Pravesh Shukla caught on camera:

A purported video of Pravesh Shukla, who reportedly has links to the BJP, abusing a tribal man sitting in the Kubari market of Sidhi district, and later urinating on him in an inebriated state has gone viral, sparking outrage.

Read here: Invoke NSA against accused urinating in viral video: Shivraj Chouhan

In a major crackdown on the accused, the state administration bulldozed his illegal encroachment in the district. The accused was arrested on Wednesday after chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan took cognizance of the incident and ordered Shukla's arrest.

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