Kharge calls Madhya Pradesh ‘epicentre of corruption’, cites alleged ₹1,200-crore rice scamt
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has accused the BJP government in Madhya Pradesh of widespread corruption, specifically citing an alleged ₹1,200-crore rice scam. He claims that grain intended for vulnerable populations was diverted for ethanol production.
Why it matters
High-level allegations of corruption involving public welfare resources highlight ongoing political tensions and accountability issues in Indian state governance.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday (July 11, 2026) alleged that Madhya Pradesh had become the “epicentre of corruption and plunder” under the BJP and claimed the State had turned into a byword for graft, citing an alleged ₹1,200-crore rice scam linked to ethanol production.
In a post on X, Mr. Kharge alleged that rice meant for the nutrition of malnourished children, pregnant women and adolescent girls had been diverted for ethanol production in collusion with rice millers, the “ethanol mafia” and the BJP government.
The Congress claimed that nearly five lakh metric tonnes of rice had been siphoned off in a “game of profit”, alleging that the diversion took place with the connivance of the government machinery.
“With the collusion of the BJP and the government machinery, the public’s rightful grain is being looted,” he said.
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