Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Monday took a swipe at Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi over his recent visit to tribal-dominated Balaghat, calling Congress leaders “vote hungry” and questioning why they had not shown similar concern for the region when their party was in power.
Speaking at a programme in Khandwa marking the birth anniversary of Gondwana queen Rani Durgavati, Yadav did not initially name Gandhi but made an apparent reference to his October 1 visit to Balaghat, where the Congress leader met families of tribal children who died following an outbreak of illness earlier this year.
“Now that we have eliminated the Naxalites, these vote-hungry people will go to Balaghat. When your government was in power, you should have gone there,” Yadav said.
CM invokes Naxalism
Yadav sought to contrast the BJP government’s record in Balaghat and other tribal areas with that of previous Congress governments, particularly on Left-Wing Extremism. He claimed that Maoists had operated with impunity in Balaghat, Mandla and Dindori during Congress rule, while dacoits had remained active in the Chambal region.
The Chief Minister said his government had addressed problems inherited from previous administrations “one by one” and argued that Congress leaders were now able to travel freely across areas that had previously faced a Maoist threat.
“This is our government. You can travel across the entire state, but nothing is going to happen. Our government has resolved the wrongs committed during the Congress rule one by one,” Yadav said.
The Chief Minister’s remarks were a political response to Gandhi’s criticism of the state government during his visit. Claims by the BJP and Congress about their respective records in tribal areas remain part of the broader political contest between the two parties.
1999 killing recalled
Yadav also referred to the killing of Madhya Pradesh minister Likhiram Kawre by Maoists in Balaghat district in 1999. Kawre, who was then the state’s transport minister, was killed at his residence in Sonepuri village.
The Chief Minister alleged that senior Congress leaders had failed to visit Kawre’s family after his killing. He used the episode to question what he described as Congress’s newly discovered concern for Balaghat and its tribal population.
Yadav also targeted Gandhi personally, accusing him of approaching politics with a sense of entitlement because of his family background. The remarks formed part of the BJP’s wider political criticism of the Congress leader and were not connected to the circumstances surrounding the deaths of children that prompted Gandhi’s visit.
Rahul met bereaved families
Gandhi visited Jagla village in Balaghat’s Baihar area on October 1 and met families of tribal children who had died after illness was reported in several remote villages. The affected communities are predominantly from the Baiga tribal group.
During his visit, Gandhi accused the Madhya Pradesh government of failing to provide adequate healthcare and other essential services to tribal communities. He described the situation as a “complete government failure” and said he would raise the issue of tribal welfare in Parliament.
Gandhi also spoke to families about healthcare, education, employment and access to government support. He alleged that the deaths reflected deeper deficiencies in the delivery of basic services to tribal populations.
The Madhya Pradesh government and BJP leaders rejected those allegations and said the administration had taken measures to strengthen healthcare facilities in the affected areas.
Death toll disputed
There have been differing accounts of the number of children who died in the affected villages. The Madhya Pradesh health department had reported eight deaths and around 100 illnesses in four remote Baiga-dominated villages during the August outbreak.
Local activists and villagers, however, have claimed that more than 30 children died over a longer period from different causes, including suspected infectious diseases and malnutrition. The discrepancy has become part of the political dispute surrounding the episode.
Children in the affected villages had reportedly shown symptoms including fever, rashes, stomach pain and ulcers. Samples were sent for laboratory examination as authorities sought to establish the causes behind the illnesses and deaths.
BJP rejects Gandhi’s charge
The BJP had already criticised Gandhi’s visit before Yadav’s remarks on Monday. Madhya Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Rajendra Shukla described the Congress leader’s trip as “political tourism” and said the government had acted after the outbreak.
Shukla said the Chief Minister, senior ministers and officials had intervened and that measures were being taken to strengthen health infrastructure in remote tribal areas. The government has also pointed to the deployment of additional healthcare personnel and expansion of health and child-development services.
Congress, however, has maintained that the deaths exposed longstanding gaps in healthcare and welfare delivery in remote tribal settlements. Gandhi said during his visit that the issue went beyond Balaghat and concerned the treatment of tribal communities across the country.
Rani Durgavati event
Yadav made the remarks while addressing an event commemorating Rani Durgavati, the 16th-century Gond ruler remembered for resisting Mughal forces. Union Minister of State for Tribal Affairs Durgadas Uikey and Madhya Pradesh Tribal Affairs Minister Kunwar Vijay Shah were among those present.
The Chief Minister also honoured descendants of erstwhile rulers associated with Gond kingdoms and used the occasion to highlight his government’s work in tribal regions.
The exchange over Balaghat has added another political dimension to the deaths of children in the district, with Congress focusing on healthcare and welfare failures and the BJP countering with its record on security and development. The circumstances surrounding the illnesses and deaths, however, remain distinct from the political claims being made by the two parties.