A CASE has been registered against Congress MLA Veer Singh Bhuria for a controversial statement he made during the election campaign in Ratlam-Jhabua Lok Sabha seat on Thursday. He was seen in a video purportedly asking his supporters to ‘chop off’ the hands of those who talk about dividing votes during the Lok Sabha polls in the State’s Jhabua district. The comments had triggered allegations of violation of model code of conduct by the Thandla Assembly seat MLA. The official said that an FIR was registered against Bhuria on Wednesday under Section 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of the Indian Penal Code on a complaint by Meghnagar tehsildar Bijendra Katare.

 

The legislator also allegedly termed the Bhilala community ‘chor and daku’ (thieves and dacoits) while targeting Anita Chouhan, the BJP candidate from the Ratlam-Jhabua Lok Sabha constituency. He made the alleged comments on Tuesday at Madrani village, about 25 km from Jhabua, while campaigning for Congress nominee for the Ratlam-Jhabua seat Kantilal Bhuria. “If someone talks about cutting votes and JAYS (Jai Adivasi Yuva Shakti Sangathan), then chop off their hands, don’t spare them. Treat them in such a manner, only then they will recognise you,” he had said. Reacting to his controversial remarks that have gone viral on social media, Anita Chouhan’s husband and Madhya Pradesh Forest Minister Nagar Singh Chouhan had said that he would also file a complaint before the Election Commission. After his alleged remarks created a row, Bhuria had retracted his statement and said that he respects all communities but refused to answer a query on the ‘chop off hands’ remark.

 

The Ratlam-Jhabua constituency is reserved for scheduled tribe candidates. JAYS is a tribal organisation which has pockets of influence in tribal-dominated areas of Western MP. Both the parties Congress and BJP are trying hard to woo tribal vote banks. Prime Minister Narendra Modi kick-started the election campaign from the Ratlam-Jhabua Scheduled Tribes (ST) constituency in February. The Bhil and Bhilala tribes, with their significant influence across 10-12 districts in western Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Gujarat, are at the centre of this strategy.