MP Dalit incident: Mallikarjun Kharge says BJP's 'sabka saath' slogan just PR stunt, demands strict action

The BJP is 'shattering' Babasaheb Ambedkar's dream of social justice every day, Kharge alleged.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday slammed the BJP over the incident in Madhya Pradesh's Chhatarpur in which a Dalit has alleged that a man from an OBC community smeared his face and body with human excreta, saying the ruling party's "sabka saath" slogan has become a "PR stunt".

Kharge demanded strict action in the matter.

The Dalit man alleged that Ramkripal Patel, who belongs to an OBC community, smeared his face and body with human excreta after he accidentally touched the latter with grease. A case has been registered against the accused under relevant provisions in connection with the incident, a police official told PTI.

The victim, Dashrath Ahirwar, approached the police on Saturday, he said.

Also Read | Tension in MP village after Dalit boys 'tease' upper caste girls, 11 held

In a tweet in Hindi, Congress president Kharge said within a month, another very condemnable and painful incident of atrocities on Dalits and tribals has happened in Madhya Pradesh, which is putting humanity to shame.

"According to NCRB Report (2021), in BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh -- The rate of crimes against Dalits is highest. Maximum number of crimes have been committed against tribals, more than seven crimes were committed every day," Kharge alleged in a tweet in Hindi.

मध्य प्रदेश में एक महीनें में ही दलित-आदिवासी अत्याचार की दूसरी बेहद निंदनीय व पीड़ादायक वारदात हुई है, जो मानवता को शर्मसार कर देने वाली है।

NCRB Report (2021) के मुताबिक़, भाजपा शासित मध्य प्रदेश में -

▫️दलितों के ख़िलाफ़ अपराधों का रेट सबसे ज़्यादा है।
▫️आदिवासियों के…

— Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) July 24, 2023

"Our Dalit, tribal and backward class citizens of Madhya Pradesh have been facing humiliation under BJP's misrule for decades. The BJP's 'Sabka Saath', confined only in advertisements, has become a mere slogan and PR stunt!" he said.

The BJP is "shattering" Babasaheb Ambedkar's dream of social justice every day, he said.

"We demand that strictest action should be taken on this incident of Chhatarpur district!" the Congress president said.

Recently, an incident of a man urinating on a tribal youth in Sidhi district of the state caused a huge outrage after its video surfaced on social media.