‘Swachch Bharat’ terror: MP man beaten up with footwear for defecating in the open

Senior Correspondent

NewsBits.in

Bhopal: A man apparently afflicted with stomach upset was abused and beaten up with footwear for defecating in the open in Kareli of Narsinghpur district.

The terror on the name of ‘Swachch Bharat’ mission goals of open defecation free (ODF) was allegedly perpetrated by employees of the Kareli municipal council.

After the video of the incident, apparently shot by the municipal employees themselves, went viral on the social media, the district collector of Narsinghpur, RR Bhonsle, assured of action on the guilty. He also said that no coercion, let alone physical assault could be used to ensure ODF goals.

Kareli has recently been declared ODF and when some municipal employees spotted a man relieving himself in the open, he was abused and beaten up, before being made to clean up the mess.

The man has alleged that the employees did not pay any heed to his plea that he had a stomach upset and could not help himself. He also alleged that he had paid for construction of a toilet, but the municipality was not building it.

The incident comes within weeks of another similar assault on an old man in Ujjain, who was also made to mop up the feces with his lower cloth (dhoti).

Also there have been other incidents where offensive slogans and ways have been used to discourage practice of open defecation in various places of Madhya Pradesh.