Political strife has reached a fever pitch in Madhya Pradesh. The Congress party has vehemently condemned the FIR registered against its State President, Jitendra (Jitu) Patwari in Ashoknagar on June 26, labelling it as fabricated and accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of authoritarianism and a conspiracy to stifle the Opposition. In a joint press conference held in Bhopal on Saturday, former minister

 

P C Sharma and organisation Vice President Sukhdev Panse termed the action a black mark on democracy and accused the State Government of suppressing the voices of victims and concealing the truth. The controversy originated in Mudra Barwah village of Ashoknagar district, where on June 10, Gajraj Lodhi and Raghuraj Lodhi levelled serious allegations against the local sarpanch’s husband and his associates. The victims claimed their motorcycle was snatched, they were beaten, and inhumanely forced to consume human excreta. On the same day, the victims filed a complaint during the public hearing with the Ashoknagar Collector, but no concrete action was taken.

 

On June 11, the matter was published on the front page of the newspaper, with news of one victim’s attempted self-immolation creating a sensation and exposing the inaction of the Government and local administration. On June 25, the victims met Jitu Patwari in Orchha. Patwari immediately spoke to the Collector over the phone, demanding action within eight days. The Collector also confirmed receiving the victims’ complaint on June 10. Patwari shared a video of this conversation and the victims’ statements on social media, which went viral.

 

However, the very next day, June 26, the victims retracted their statements via an affidavit, claiming they had made false accusations at Patwari’s behest. On the same day, Mungaoli Police registered an FIR against Patwari for inciting caste animosity. The Congress alleges that the victims were coerced into changing their statements under pressure from the BJP.