By Special Correspondent
Bhopal: As Madhya Pradesh gears up to celebrate Diwali, Congress state president Jeetu Patwari has accused the BJP government of plunging the state into “the darkness of misrule amid the festival of lights.”
Speaking to the media on Saturday, Patwari released a white paper highlighting six major failures of the state government — unemployment, corruption-ridden roads, agrarian distress, inflation, women’s insecurity, and high child mortality.
He said over 2.5 million youths are registered as unemployed, including nine lakh graduates, yet the government claims a mere 0.9% unemployment rate based on the PLFS 2023–24 survey. “This statistical deception hides the despair of jobless youth,” he said, adding that only four lakh jobs have actually been created.
On infrastructure, Patwari said the Bhopal–Dewas road, built at a cost of ₹1,360 crore, has yielded more than ₹6,500 crore in toll revenue — “over 500% of the cost — yet remains filled with potholes.”
The white paper also accused the government of betraying farmers, claiming that promises of ₹2,700 per quintal for wheat and ₹3,100 for paddy remain unfulfilled. “Agriculture has become an enterprise of risk and loss,” he remarked.
Patwari further highlighted spiralling inflation, women’s safety concerns, and child mortality rates that remain the second highest in India. He criticised the government for “offering daily wagers just ₹1 more per day” despite surging prices.
Calling for urgent corrective measures, the Congress demanded toll-free roads post cost recovery, guaranteed MSP for farmers, enhanced wages, and a High Court-monitored SIT to probe women’s safety.
“Diwali’s true light will shine only when the people of Madhya Pradesh are freed from unemployment, corruption, and insecurity,” Patwari said.
