Incident raises questions about social dynamics and community tensions in Madhya Pradesh’s Damoh district.
A resident of Damoh district in Madhya Pradesh, Purushottam Kushwaha, has reportedly been compelled to wash the feet of a Brahmin man, Anuj Pandey, as a form of apology for sharing an AI-generated image of him on social media. This incident has drawn attention following an argument between the two concerning a liquor ban in their village.
On October 6, the disagreement arose over a decision made by the residents of Satariya village to prohibit the sale and consumption of alcohol. Following the dispute, Kushwaha allegedly posted a derogatory artificial intelligence-generated image depicting Pandey adorned with a garland made of shoes. Although he removed the post within 15 minutes and issued an apology, the image ignited significant outrage within the community.
Reports indicate that on Friday, Kushwaha was taken to a local temple where he was coerced into washing Pandey’s feet as a means of expressing contrition for sharing the image. Additionally, he was required to apologize to both Pandey and the broader Brahmin community, and a fine of Rs 5,100 was imposed upon him. A video of this incident circulated widely on social media, showing Kushwaha engaged in the act of washing Pandey’s feet. In the video, Kushwaha can be heard stating, “I am apologising to the Brahmin community. Such a mistake will not happen again. We will keep worshipping the Brahmins like this.”
The local police have since taken action, with Damoh Superintendent of Police Shrut Kirti Somvanshi confirming that Pandey, along with three of his relatives, has been booked under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. These sections relate to obscene acts and promoting enmity between different groups based on religion, race, and other factors, as well as criminal actions committed by multiple individuals with a shared intent.
Pandey, in his statements to the media, has characterized his relationship with Kushwaha as one of ‘guru-shishya,’ or teacher-disciple. He claimed that Kushwaha washed his feet voluntarily and expressed his own regret if the Kushwaha community felt offended by the incident. Furthermore, he suggested that the video of the event was being politicized by individuals from the Other Backward Classes (OBC) community.
The incident has prompted criticism from the Congress party, which has condemned the actions taken against Kushwaha as a significant moral failing. They have characterized the pressure exerted on him to proclaim reverence for the Brahmin community as a violation of human dignity and an affront to constitutional values. The Congress party has urged the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party to act decisively in addressing this matter, asserting that the governance of the nation should be informed by the principles of Babasaheb Ambedkar’s Constitution rather than the ideologies associated with the Manusmriti, which has been widely criticized for its caste and gender biases.
