Madhya Pradesh Congress president Jitu Patwari once again came under attack on Monday, this time in Neemuch, where BJP workers hurled ink and black cloth at his convoy and set his effigy ablaze. On Sunday, his convoy was attacked by pelting stones on his way to Ratlam.
The incident occurred at 4-Zero Square as Patwari was on his way to address the ‘vote thieves, abdicate your seat’ rally.
Several women workers of the BJP Mahila Morcha led the protest, waving black flags and shouting slogans, accusing Patwari of insulting the dignity of women with his recent remark.
The controversy was triggered when Patwari, in one of his public addresses, claimed that women in Madhya Pradesh consume more alcohol than anywhere else in the country.
The BJP seized on the Statement as an affront to the beneficiaries of the Ladli Behna scheme, using it to fuel anger on the ground. On Monday, Neemuch MLA Dilip Singh Parihar said the protest was a reflection of “public fury” against Patwari and demanded that he apologise unconditionally for his words.
The Congress, however, condemned the attack and alleged that the BJP was orchestrating violence to divert attention from real issues.
Senior Congress leader PC Sharma demanded stronger security for Patwari, pointing out that this was the second consecutive day he had been targeted.
On Sunday, while Patwari was travelling to Ratlam for a major protest rally, his car was attacked near Mangrol Phata by a group of assailants who smashed its window. Though he escaped unharmed, the Congress alleged that the attack was carried out by BJP supporters at the behest of a local leader. A formal complaint was later filed at the Station Road police station.
Madhya Pradesh Congress Media Depar-tment Chairman Mukesh Nayak also strongly reacted to the incident, saying the repeated attacks on Patwari exposed the ruling BJP’s nervousness.
“The BJP has lost the trust of the people and is now resorting to mob protests and violence against our leaders. Jeetu Patwari has raised serious questions about the
government’s failures, its politics of deception and the menace of intoxic-ation that is spreading across the State. Instead of answering those questions, the BJP is trying to silence him by intimidation. This is nothing but a cowardly attempt to crush the voice of the Opp-osition,” Nayak said.
Despite the protests, Patwari has reiterated that his campaign against intoxication and electoral malpractice will not stop. “Even if I am killed, this fight will continue,” he told reporters after the Ratlam attack. The back-to-back incidents have not only heightened political tensions but also raised fresh concerns over his security as he intensifies Statewide rallies against the government.