Kharge calls Madhya Pradesh ‘epicentre of corruption’, cites alleged ₹1,200-crore rice scamt

Summary

Subscribed with another email? Logout and Login with that one. Account subscription benefits alongside Premium Stories, Editorials, Opinions and more. Unlock these with Subscription Updated - July 11, 2026 08:27 pm IST - New Delhi Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge. | Photo Credit: ALLEN EGENUSE J 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. The Congress chief also referred to an alleged land scam in Ujjain, claiming land expansion had taken place in areas earmarked for government infrastructure projects and a highway corridor. The Congress attack came amid an official probe into an alleged racket involving subsidised rice supplied to ethanol plants in Madhya Pradesh. Madhya Pradesh / politics / corruption & bribery / fraud / Indian National Congress / Bharatiya Janata Party Terms & conditions | Institutional Subscriber Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences.