By Special Correspondent
Bhopal: Former Madhya Pradesh Home Minister and Congress MLA Bala Bachchan has mounted a sharp attack on the prevailing law and order situation on the completion of two years of the present dispensation, alleging that the concentration of authority over internal security has led to “administrative negligence and anarchy” across the state.
Addressing the media, Bachchan said the handling of the Home Department had “failed completely”, claiming that the much-publicised slogan of “development and service” has been reduced to little more than media management. He alleged that over the past two years the state has witnessed a phase marked by “deception and debt”, with every citizen burdened by an average liability of Rs 50,000, while the safety of women and even police personnel has deteriorated alarmingly.
The former Home Minister pointed to a rise in custodial deaths, citing National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data that show a significant increase during the BJP’s tenure, and alleged growing indiscipline within the police force. He also highlighted several incidents of attacks on police personnel, arguing that when the police themselves feel unsafe, public security inevitably suffers.
On women’s safety, Bachchan accused the authorities of a stark contradiction between rhetoric and reality. Despite massive spending on welfare schemes such as the Ladli Behna Yojana, he said Madhya Pradesh continues to rank among the most unsafe states for women, with high rates of sexual offences, missing girls and human trafficking, as reflected in NCRB figures. He further drew attention to the large backlog of rape and POCSO cases pending before High Court benches in the state.
Bachchan also alleged political patronage to organised crime, including drug trafficking and cyber fraud, and criticised delays in key infrastructure projects such as the Bhopal and Indore Metro. He demanded a judicial probe into alleged police excesses, dismissal of office-bearers facing serious allegations, and the creation of a special task force to trace missing women and girls.
