Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Saturday, 19 September 2026, sharply rebutted Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi's critique of the state's education and employment record, citing a steep rise in school education spending, an expanded medical college network, and active government recruitment drives. Yadav's pushback came directly in response to Gandhi's remarks at the Chhatron Ki Goonj programme held in Indore.

What Rahul Gandhi Said in Indore

Addressing students at the Chhatron Ki Goonj event, Rahul Gandhi raised concerns over unemployment, recruitment delays, examination irregularities, paper leaks, and scholarship access. He said young people needed opportunities and a system that allowed them to question and participate freely. Gandhi's allegations centred on what he described as systemic failures affecting students and job-seekers in Madhya Pradesh.

Yadav's Point-by-Point Rebuttal

Reacting swiftly, Chief Minister Yadav described the Chhatron Ki Goonj programme as a 'goonj of lies' and argued that discussions on youth and education must be grounded in verified data rather than allegations. 'If important issues such as children, youth, and education are being discussed, facts and figures should be presented. Instead of facts, an attempt was made to create confusion at today's programme,' Yadav said.

On school education, Yadav cited the state budget rising from approximately ₹2,000 crore in 2002–03 to ₹38,658 crore currently. He added that the student dropout rate, which stood at around 16 per cent in 2002–03, had been brought down significantly through schemes including Sandipani schools, with the government targeting a dropout rate of zero. Students, he noted, were also receiving uniforms, bicycles, laptops, and scooters under merit-linked initiatives.

Medical Colleges and Power Generation Growth

Yadav highlighted that Madhya Pradesh had only five medical colleges between 1956 and 2002–03, a number that has since climbed to 33. Medical seats, he said, have expanded from roughly 680 to more than 7,000. On infrastructure, the Chief Minister pointed to power generation capacity growing from around 5,000 MW to nearly 32,000 MW, and per capita income rising from roughly ₹11,000 in 2002–03 to ₹1.59 lakh.

Recruitment on Track, Government Says

On the employment front, Yadav said recruitment was underway for approximately 18,000 police posts, with nearly 10,000 youths already trained and inducted into the police service. The School Education Department was undertaking 10,000 recruitments, while 7,000 lecturers had already been absorbed. 'If the Leader of Opposition wants to engage in dialogue with the people of Madhya Pradesh, he should speak about the state's development with facts and figures,' Yadav said.

Political Stakes

The exchange marks a fresh flashpoint between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led state government and the Indian National Congress, with Rahul Gandhi increasingly targeting BJP-governed states on student welfare and employment — a frame the Congress has used to build youth outreach ahead of future electoral cycles. Yadav's data-heavy response reflects the BJP's broader strategy of countering opposition criticism with governance metrics rather than political rebuttals alone. How the competing narratives land with Madhya Pradesh's large student population is likely to shape the political conversation in the state in the weeks ahead.