Day after political firestorm over urination video, accused faces NSA, his home gets bulldozer visit

The DM wrote in his order that he was “satisfied that the applicant Pravesh Shukla” had to be detained under the NSA, and ordered that he be “kept in Central Jail Rewa”.

#WATCH | Sidhi viral video | Accused Pravesh Shukla’s illegal encroachment being bulldozed by the Administration. He was arrested last night.#MadhyaPradesh pic.twitter.com/kBMUuLtrjK

— ANI MP/CG/Rajasthan (@ANI_MP_CG_RJ) July 5, 2023

Following the NSA, bulldozers arrived at Shukla’s home even as his family members protested. They pleaded with the administration claiming that the house belonged to Shukla’s father and other members of the family. They also asked the administration to take action against the accused but not target his family and their property.

His father claimed the video in question was fake and there was “a conspiracy to trap us”. “Our boy just can’t do that,” he said.

District officials reported that illegal encroachments “built in 400 square feet had been demolished”.

Chouhan tweeted afterwards: “NSA has been invoked, bulldozer has been run and if needed, Mama ji will bury criminals 10 feet below the ground. Mama ji’s message is clear, that is why those with ill intentions need to think 10 times before committing a crime in Madhya Pradesh.”

एनएसए लगा दिया गया है, बुलडोजर भी चला दिया गया है और अगर जरूरत पड़ी तो मामा जी अपराधियों को 10 फुट जमीन के नीचे भी गाड़ देंगे।

मामाजी का संदेश साफ है, इसलिए गलत मंशा वालों मध्यप्रदेश में अपराध करने से पहले 10 बार सोच लेना। https://t.co/x1SUjRuUGb

— Office of Shivraj (@OfficeofSSC) July 5, 2023

State Home Minister Narottam Mishra had said earlier: “The law is doing its work. The man has been arrested. This is a BJP government, there is rule of law here. When the incident came to light, the Chief Minister asked for an investigation under the NSA. The bulldozer will run on the illegal encroachments.”

The Congress meanwhile kept pressing the BJP over the issue. Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee president Kamal Nath warned Chouhan not to “give protection to people” committing atrocities on tribals.

“My soul trembled after seeing the video of a BJP leader urinating on a tribal youth in Sidhi district. This incident is an attack on tribals. I warn the Shivraj govt to stop giving protection to people doing atrocities on the tribal society. The Congress party stands with the tribals and will continue to provide justice to them,” Nath said.

While the Congress has alleged Shukla is an associate of the Siddhi MLA, the latter told The Indian Express he was “not my representative or even a BJP member”.

“He was never a part of the BJP. These are false allegations,” the MLA said.

Arun Yadav, a former Madhya Pradesh minister, meanwhile tweeted a purported BJP appointment letter and a paper clipping congratulating Shukla for becoming the MLA’s representative.

“He (Shukla) is the mandal vice-president of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha, MLA Kedarnath Shukla has made him his representative as well,” Yadav tweeted.

State BJP unit president V D Sharma meanwhile constituted a four-member committee under the chairmanship of Tribal Development Authority president Ramlal Routel to inquire into the incident.

Yadav attacked the formation of the committee by stating, “Is V D Sharma running a parallel government in front of Shivraj in MP? Does the organisation also have no faith in the government now? The cold war of the organisation and the government has now come openly in front of everyone.”