Bhopal, Feb 12 (IANS) Madhya Pradesh Congress President Jitu Patwari on Thursday wrote a letter to Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, demanding the immediate removal of three senior cabinet ministers from the government before the state Assembly’s Budget session commences on February 16.

The letter accuses the BJP-led administration of ignoring public sentiment, fostering arrogance, and shielding ministers amid “serious controversies” and “administrative failures”.

In the letter, Patwari described Madhya Pradesh as a “democratically governed state” where every governance unit is expected to uphold democratic values, ethics, and constitutional norms.

He lamented that the government’s actions appear contrary to public feelings, promoting anarchy, arrogance, and hubris.

With the Budget session set to begin on February 16, including the Governor’s address, Patwari criticised the anticipated speech for presenting “inflated statistics” while the state grapples with a “severe economic crisis and mounting debt” to which the government remains “indifferent”.

Patwari highlighted the presence of ministers whose cabinet utility is now questioned due to grave allegations; saying Tribal Affairs Minister Vijay Shah faces serious charges of insulting the nation’s daughter and the Indian Army through derogatory remarks against Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, an officer who played a key role in briefing the media during Operation Sindoor.

The controversy has led to multiple apologies from Shah, Supreme Court interventions, and ongoing legal scrutiny, he said.

Also, state Health Minister (and Deputy Chief Minister) Rajendra Shukla is linked to the tragic deaths of “dozens of innocent children in Chhindwara” from poisonous cough syrup (contaminated with toxins like diethylene glycol), which Congress has blamed on government “negligence” and demanded a CBI probe, Patwari said.

He further wrote, Urban Administration Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya stands accused of failing to provide clean drinking water to his constituency, amid recent water contamination incidents in Indore causing multiple deaths and widespread illness due to sewage mixing with supply lines.

Patwari called it “extremely unfortunate and shameful” that despite insults to the Army, deaths of innocents, and administrative lapses, these ministers continue in office. This, he argued, raises profound questions about the government’s “morality, sensitivity, and accountability”.

Describing the moment as a test of CM Yadav’s moral commitment, responsibility, and leadership, Patwari urged the Chief Minister to sack the ministers before the Governor’s address to respect public sentiment. Failure to do so would send a clear message that the government tacitly endorses lies, immorality, and the dishonor to the country’s daughters and the Indian Army, he warned.

The chief minister has yet not responded to the letter.

–IANS

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