Tribal Man Beaten Up, Made To Pose As "Murga" In Madhya Pradesh

A tribal man was brutally assaulted and made to pose as a "murga" in Madhya Pradesh's Betul, approximately 178 kilometres from state capital Bhopal. The victim, identified as Raju Uikey, was subjected to physical violence and casteist slurs by a group led by Chanchal Rajput, an alleged member of Bajrang Dal. The incident, which took place near Subhash School in the city, was caught on camera and the disturbing footage has sparked outrage and condemnation.

The video shows Raju Uikey being forced into a demeaning pose and subsequently being beaten by Chanchal Rajput and three others. Even when Raju was bleeding, the attackers continued their brutal assault.

Raju, who works as a DJ, narrated the harrowing experience: "At around 11:30 pm, while I was on my way home, I was picked up near Subhash School by Chanchal Rajput and his Bajrang Dal friends. They assaulted me physically and verbally, and used casteist slurs against me."

State Congress President Jitu Patwari brought the incident to light by sharing the video on social media. His tweet triggered immediate action from the police, who swiftly filed an FIR against Chanchal Rajput and the three other accused. Betul Superintendent Of Police (SP) Siddharth Chaudhary confirmed that the incident took place on Saturday, and efforts are underway to apprehend the perpetrators.

Mr Patwari, expressing his outrage, pointed to the irony between Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent speeches in Madhya Pradesh on the elevation and respect of tribal people and the stark reality of tribal discrimination in the state. 

"On one hand, the speech of PM Narendra Modi in which lies were being told about the elevation and respect of tribal people! On the other hand, Betul Bajrang Dal supporters torturing tribal brother Raj Uike! The Prime Minister is gone! But, now you see with your own eyes the truth of tribal honour of BJP! Don't commit so much oppression that you lose faith in justice!" Mr Patwari wrote on X.

According to the police, a thorough probe has been launched to track down the accused.