Madhya Pradesh’s Deputy Chief Minister Rajendra Shukla and Transport and Higher Education Minister Rao Uday Pratap Singh on Thursday sharply criticised Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi over his visit to Balaghat, accusing him of turning the issue of tribal child deaths into a political exercise.

Shukla alleged that Gandhi was “not serious” during his Balaghat visit and described it as “dramatic” and politically motivated. His remarks came amid a continuing political dispute over the deaths of tribal children in the district and the state government’s response to the situation.

Shukla targets Congress over Naxalism

Shukla said Gandhi had overlooked Balaghat’s history of Naxal violence during earlier Congress-led governments. He referred to the 1999 killing of Lakhiram Kawre, then a minister in the Digvijaya Singh government, who was killed by Naxals after they entered his residence.

The Deputy Chief Minister alleged that Gandhi’s visit, coming months after the incident involving the tribal children, amounted to “political tourism”. He also accused the Congress leader of making baseless allegations while questioning the government’s record on welfare and development.

Shukla highlighted the Ladli Behna scheme and the state’s Aahar Anudan scheme, under which, he said, Baiga, Bharia and Sahariya beneficiaries receive ₹1,500 per month. He also claimed that development and technological infrastructure had expanded in remote areas under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership.

Government lists development measures

Rahul Gandhi in a still from Balaghat touchdown

Shukla said the state government had worked to eliminate Naxalism from the affected areas and claimed that the improved security situation had enabled public services to reach remote communities.

He said health screening had been conducted for around 45,000 people in two Naxal-affected blocks, while 14 new Anganwadi centres and 10 sub-health centres had been opened. A primary health centre has also been upgraded into a 30-bed hospital, he said.

The Deputy Chief Minister further cited initiatives such as the Pradhan Mantri Janman Yojana and Dharti Aaba Abhiyan as measures aimed at improving the welfare of particularly vulnerable tribal communities.

‘Rahul Gandhi came only for a formality’

Meanwhile, Rao Uday Pratap Singh alleged that Gandhi had visited Balaghat merely to fulfil a political formality. He said the state’s Chief Minister (CM) Dr Mohan Yadav had visited the affected area soon after the deaths and that the government had provided immediate assistance to the families.

Singh also claimed that Congress legislators and the district Congress president had participated in the government's relief efforts and praised some of the measures taken.

Rahul Gandhi interacting with tribals in Balaghat

He questioned Gandhi’s criticism of welfare delivery, saying beneficiaries from tribal communities were already receiving assistance under separate schemes.

Singh further alleged that Gandhi had spent only around 15 minutes in the remote tribal area and failed to acknowledge the condition of schools he visited, where, according to the minister, students were studying and teachers were present.