Overview

• On July 8, Jitu Patwari joined thousands of Congress workers in encircling the Ashoknagar SP office as part of the 'Nyay ki Ladai' protest.
• Patwari announced he and fellow party leaders will court arrest in response to an FIR lodged under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita alleging criminal conspiracy, promoting enmity, fabricating evidence and mischief.
• The FIR follows an affidavit by Gajraj Lodhi retracting earlier claims that he was fed faeces and accusing Patwari’s aides of instigating false allegations.
• Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and other BJP leaders have defended the FIRs as necessary law and order measures and accused the Congress of sensationalizing caste tensions.
• The standoff highlights rising political stakes before Madhya Pradesh’s state elections and scrutiny over the new Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita’s expanded policing powers.