CM Shivraj suspends Indore official after IMC workers caught 'dumping' homeless elderly

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Friday suspended an Indore Municipal Corporation official after videos of homeless people being driven out of the city and dropped near a village in biting cold went viral on social media. IMC Deputy Commissioner Pratap Solanki was placed under suspension and attached to the Urban Development Directorate in Bhopal, while two civic staff were dismissed from service, PTI quoted officials as saying.

'Inhuman treatment will not be tolerated' 

"Inhuman treatment towards the elderly will not be tolerated at any cost. Every aged person should get respect, love and honour. This is our culture and also human religion," CM Chouhan said in a tweet in Hindi.

A disturbing video of the incident, shot by locals was widely shared online which shows the municipal team trying to unload homeless people off a truck parked on the side of the highway. However, they were forced to bring them back after villagers in the Kshipra area noticed them and refused to let the elderly people be abandoned in the bitter cold.

"We have established Rain Baseras (shelters) for the homeless and will probe into why these elderly people were not sent there. We have also sacked two contractual employees in this connection," Abhay Rajangaonkar, Indore Municipal Corporation's Additional Commissioner told ANI.

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'Officials working according to BJP's ideology?': Congress

The Congress attacking the ruling BJP government in the state over the incident. "In the name of cleanliness, the officials of the Indore Municipal Corporation left the elderly in the cold. Now, what should the poor officials do... they are working according to the ideology of the BJP? As the BJP left many elderly leaders... like Advaniji, Joshiji, Yashwant Sinha," Congress spokesperson Narendra Saluja said.

 

Indore had won the "cleanest city" award for four consecutive years as decided by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. Indore is looking to win the "cleanest city" award for a fifth consecutive year, ANI reported.

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(With agency inputs)