The Madhya Pradesh Congress on Monday, 24 August intensified its offensive against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state government over an alleged ₹600 crore financial irregularity in the Madhya Pradesh treasury, demanding a formal investigation, full disclosure of recoveries, and the resignation of the state Finance Minister. The opposition's escalation comes amid claims that suspicious transactions went undetected across multiple government departments for a prolonged period.

Key Allegations

Congress state president Jitu Patwari alleged that 24 government departments are under scrutiny, that suspicious transactions worth nearly ₹305 crore have been detected, and that approximately 400 officers and employees are currently under the scanner. He further claimed that around ₹380 crore remains unrecovered.

Patwari questioned how transactions of such magnitude could allegedly continue for an extended period without being flagged, and demanded that the inquiry extend to senior officials and any individuals who may have provided political or administrative cover. 'Every rupee of the government treasury will have to be accounted for. The culprits and those shielding them must be exposed, and every penny of the people's money must be recovered,' he said.

What the Congress Demanded

The party laid out a specific set of demands: disclosure of the total amount recovered so far, the outstanding balance, and the action taken against officials found responsible. Patwari insisted the investigation must not be limited to lower-rung employees, arguing that senior officials and influential persons must face scrutiny if evidence implicates them. He also called for the Finance Minister's resignation on moral grounds.

Kamal Nath Joins the Attack

Senior Congress leader and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath also weighed in, calling the alleged irregularity a serious matter involving public funds. Nath questioned how large-scale transactions could reportedly have gone undetected and demanded an impartial probe to fix accountability. 'Every rupee of public money must be accounted for, and those responsible must be exposed,' Nath wrote on X.

Notably, the simultaneous involvement of both the party's state president and a former chief minister signals that the Congress intends to sustain pressure on the BJP government rather than treat this as a one-day political salvo. This comes amid a broader pattern of opposition scrutiny on state finances in Madhya Pradesh ahead of local political cycles.

Government Response and What Comes Next

The BJP state government had not issued a formal response to the allegations at the time of reporting. The Congress has demanded that the government publicly disclose the investigation's status, including the quantum of funds recovered and the departmental action taken. Whether the government orders an independent inquiry or refers the matter to an existing vigilance mechanism will be closely watched in the coming days.