Why is Congress Protesting on June 8 Against Jitu Patwari's FIR?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Congress to protest on June 8 against FIR filed against Jitu Patwari.
- Allegations against Patwari relate to promoting enmity and false evidence.
- Protest locations include police stations and the district office in Ashoknagar.
- BJP leaders criticize Congress for spreading lies.
- Law and order issues remain central to the political discourse in Madhya Pradesh.
Bhopal, June 30 (NationPress) The Madhya Pradesh Congress party has declared a significant protest on June 8 in response to an FIR filed against their state unit leader, Jitu Patwari, in Ashoknagar district.
Claiming that the FIR is a tactic to divert attention from the district administration's failures and the worsening law and order situation in the state, Congress accused the BJP of attempting to silence opposition voices.
"We will wait until June 7, and if the FIR against Jitu Patwari is not revoked, Congress workers will commence a large-scale protest on June 8. They will assemble at police stations and the Ashoknagar district administration office," stated Congress MLA Jaivardhan Singh on Monday.
On the same day, Congress members protested outside the Divisional Commissioner's office in Indore, where over 500 party workers, waving flags and banners, chanted slogans against the BJP government and called for the withdrawal of the FIR against Patwari.
The FIR against Patwari was filed at the Mungaoli police station in Ashoknagar district on Friday after a viral video surfaced featuring a youth named Raghuraj Lodhi, who alleged that the village Sarpanch and his son assaulted his brother Gajraj Lodhi and coerced him into consuming human feces.
In light of this video, Jitu Patwari raised concerns about the state's law-and-order conditions, asserting that Dalits were being systematically targeted under the BJP regime.
He had also reached out to the Ashoknagar district collector and SP, demanding action against the alleged perpetrators. However, on Friday, Gajraj Lodhi (the alleged victim) submitted an affidavit to the Ashoknagar district collector, claiming that Jitu Patwari had falsely enticed him to say he was forced to eat feces.
Consequently, an FIR was lodged against Jitu Patwari, charging him under various sections, including 61(2) for criminal conspiracy, 196(1)(a) for promoting enmity, and 197(1)(c) for inciting disharmony and hatred, among others.
Numerous senior BJP officials, such as Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, state BJP chief V. D. Sharma, and Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, have publicly condemned Jitu Patwari, accusing the Congress party of attempting to disrupt the state's atmosphere through deceit.