Youth Shot At After BJP MLA’s Son Open Fires On Tribals In MP’s Singrauli

New Delhi:Vivek Vaish, son of BJP MLA Ramlallu Vaish from Madhya Pradesh’s Singrauli shot a tribal youth on Thursday evening. The victim, Surya Prakash Khairbar, who lives in Morba, had a verbal spat with the accused, who suddenly took out his revolver and fired at him. Police said the accused is charged with Section 307 (attempt to murder) of IPC and 25/27 (Arms Act). He is still on the run, said Shiv Kumar Verma, additional Superintendent of Police (ADSP).

This is not the first time Vivek Vaish has been involved in hooliganism. He was booked for assaulting and misbehaving with forest guards in July last year. “Vaish is involved in illegal coal supply and wood smuggling, and uses his father’s influence and takes the help of powerful people in Singrauli”, news agency IANS quoted a local BJP leader as saying. 

“The fire incident came to light because there were many people at the spot at that time. Vivek would often create terror among the tribals and beat them whenever he wished and no one would stop him. He has a strong nexus, which has been involved in illegal coal mining and wood smuggling. Even if he gets arrested, his father would use his power to get him out of jail and this has been happening for the last several years,” IANS quoted a Singrauli-based BJP leader as saying.

The incident comes a month after the urination case in Sidhi district. Singrauli, the hub of coal mines, was the part of Sidhi district, and was made a separate district in 2008.

Reacting to the incident, Madhya Pradesh Congress president Kamal Nath attacked the BJP saying that “tribals are being attacked” regularly in Madhya Pradesh. He claimed that the BJP leaders were indulging in harassment of the tribal community.

“I want to know from the Chief Minister whether the only work left for the BJP leaders is to harass tribals, Dalits, women and people of all communities. Far from curbing such crimes, you are seeing the promotion of criminals happening. Recently, you have made it clear how fast you are progressing in the campaign of forming a criminal BJP, by including the person convicted for running a sex racket from Harda in the BJP,” said Kamal Nath.