Slippers, stones, black flags replace words in poll season
in Madhya Pradesh for the assembly election, barely two months away, has reached a new low with dissent being expressed through waving of black flags, and hurling of stones and slippers, and sometimes heckling of leaders. The Bharatiya Janata Pary (BJP) and the Congress are blaming each other for the new trend.
On Sunday, stones were pelted on chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s Jan Ashirvad Yatra bus at Churhat in Sidhi district, where slippers were also hurled during his public function. The same day, he was shown black flags at two other places.
Police have booked 34 people under various sections for the ‘attack’ on the chief minister, with home minister Bhupendra Singh calling it an attempt on Chouhan’s life. The BJP blamed the Congress for the disruptions at the chief minister’s rallies.
Congress’s Churhat MLA Ajay Singh demanded an inquiry, saying this has never been the culture of Madhya Pradesh.
“I am saddened by the events, but...calling it an attempt on the CM’s life is ridiculous. There is anger among the youth over several issues and the social media is fuelling it. Political parties should sit down and work out a way to address them rather than blame each other,” Singh said.
Chouhan is not the only BJP leader greeted with protests.
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In past one week, Union minister for social justice and empowerment Thawarchand Gehlot faced black flags in Guna, state health minister Rustam Singh and BJP MP Prabhat Jhan had the ignominy of being presented with bangles and black flags in Morena, while Mandsaur MP Sudhir Gupta had to face the ire of the locals in his constituency.
A reason for BJP facing angry protest is the Centre’s decision to get a law passed to restore stringent provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act that had been struck down by the Supreme Court in March. Several villages in Madhya Pradesh have seen posters put up by upper caste families claiming they will not vote for the BJP and the Congress over passing of the law. BJP politicians said on several instances, people had publically abused leaders for their stand on the law.
The Congress too is having its share of problems. Its general secretary and state in-charge Deepak Babaria was allegedly heckled by his own party members in Rewa on July 29, and had to leave an event in Vidisha on August 6 when supporters of two groups clashed over sharing of the dais. Babaria had blamed the BJP for being behind the trouble, a claim refuted by the BJP.
BJP spokesperson Rajneesh Agrawal said that showing black flags and hurling stones isn’t the culture of Madhya Pradesh. “But we have to ask ourselves, why is it happening only in Madhya Pradesh when anger against the Act is there across the country?”
He said social media-fuelled anger among the youth is also behind the spate of incidents.