Mukesh Prajapat, a resident of Kankariya village in Madhya Pradesh, took an unconventional approach by crawling and rolling his way to the district collector’s office in Neemuch. Prajapat, adorned with a garland of paper complaints, staged this act to demand action against the village sarpanch whom he accuses of corruption.
Details of the Protest
A video of Prajapat’s protest has gone viral on social media, showing him rolling on the road within the district collectorate premises. The garland he wore was made of papers representing numerous complaints of alleged corruption against the sarpanch of Kankariya village. Prajapat’s grievances have reportedly been ignored by authorities for the past 6 to 7 years, prompting this dramatic demonstration.
STORY | MP man rolls on road inside district collectorate to highlight corruption by village sarpanch
READ: https://t.co/DvciwULMla
VIDEO: pic.twitter.com/dNwORYQTGz
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 3, 2024
Response from Local Authorities
Following the protest, Neemuch District Collector Himanshu Chandra directed officials to reopen the investigation into Prajapat’s complaints. Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Mamta Khede confirmed that Prajapat had previously submitted a complaint against the sarpanch, and the Panchayat and Rural Development Department had conducted an inquiry into the allegations. Khede stated that a new investigation would be launched under the district collector’s orders.
Political Reactions
The Madhya Pradesh Congress party shared the video clip on its official X handle, using the incident to criticize Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and highlight what it described as the “helplessness” of his government. The Congress party’s post read, “This person who crawled to the public hearing in Neemuch, dragging with him a pile of papers of complaints and evidence @DrMohanYadav51 is showing the helplessness of the government. His name is Mukesh Prajapati who has reached the Collector’s office to seek justice.”
Public Hearing System in Madhya Pradesh
In Madhya Pradesh, public hearings are held every Tuesday at the collector’s office in all districts. Senior officials review grievances and complaints submitted by citizens during these sessions. The system is designed to address public concerns and ensure that issues are investigated and resolved.
Previous Incident in Mandsaur
This protest in Neemuch is not the first of its kind. In July, an elderly farmer in Mandsaur district rolled on the floor of the collector’s office, alleging that his grievance about land-grabbing had been neglected by the administration.
