Sidhi urination case: MP CM Shivraj Chouhan washes feet of tribal man

A video capturing the incident shows the Chief Minister engaging in a conversation with Dasmat Ravat, a 36-year-old tribal from Karaundi, before humbly washing his feet as a mark of respect.

| Updated: 06 July, 2023 1:17 pm IST

BHOPAL: In a heartwarming move, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan personally reached out to the tribal man who suffered the despicable act of being urinated upon. Expressing deep remorse, Chouhan washed the man’s feet, apologized sincerely, and called him his friend.

A video capturing the incident shows the Chief Minister engaging in a conversation with Dasmat Ravat, a 36-year-old tribal from Karaundi, before humbly washing his feet as a mark of respect.

“The incident has hurt me and saddened me; Dashmat ji, this is an attempt to share your pain, I also apologize to you, for me the public is God,” he is heard saying in the video.

During their interaction, Chouhan took a keen interest in Ravat’s livelihood and inquired about his family’s access to government schemes. Drawing an analogy to the tale of ‘Sudama,’ where Lord Krishna showered gifts upon his impoverished childhood friend, the Chief Minister declared, ‘Dasmat, you are now my friend.’

Meanwhile, Pravesh Shukla, the individual captured in the video urinating on Dasmat Ravat, has been arrested under the stringent National Security Act. The disturbing footage sparked widespread outrage, igniting a political controversy in the state ahead of upcoming elections. Shukla is allegedly affiliated with the ruling BJP, with the Congress party accusing them of failing to protect tribal communities.

In an earlier statement made under duress, Dasmat Ravat had dismissed the video as fake. Former Chief Minister Kamal Nath condemned the act, stating, ‘There is no place for such heinous acts against the youth of the tribal community in civilized society.'”