Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Wednesday met Dashmat Rawat, a laborer from the tribal community – who was seen urinating in a video – and washed his feet at his official residence in Bhopal.
“I am saddened to see the video. I apologize to you,” Chauhan told the man during a brief conversation, where he also asked about his job and family. The conversation took place after the chief minister washed the man’s feet, applied tilak on his forehead, garlanded him, and gave him gifts.
Calling the man “Sudama”, Chauhan said, “Dasmat, you are my friend now.” News agency PTI reported that Chauhan also approached him on various other issues and asked if the welfare schemes of the state reached him.
Earlier, the Chief Minister and Rawat together planted a sapling at Smart City Park in Bhopal.
A three-month-old video of prime accused Pravesh Shukla (30) urinating on Rawat in Siddhi district recently went viral and sparked a political firestorm in the state. The Congress has targeted the ruling BJP on the issue, saying Shukla is a BJP leader and an associate of Siddhi MLA Kedarnath Shukla. The BJP has distanced itself from the accused and rejected claims that he is a member of the party.
Following this, the Madhya Pradesh police arrested Shukla on Tuesday and imposed the National Security Act (NSA) on him. MP authorities demolished a part of his residence on Wednesday.
