MP Congress chief writes to shah, seeks Centre’s intervention

Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh Congress President Jitu Patwari on Tuesday wrote a letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah seeking the Centre’s intervention after a series of spurious liquor deaths in the state.

In his letter to the Union Home Minister, Patwari demanded an independent probe into the repeated incidents of hooch deaths in Madhya Pradesh, coordinated action against interstate liquor networks and accountability for administrative lapses.

Questioning the Chief Minister Mohan Yadav-led government’s handling of repeated liquor tragedies, Patwari said the Centre should intervene to ensure effective action against those involved in the illegal liquor trade and officials found responsible for lapses.

He cited several incidents, including the deaths of 14 people in Ujjain in October 2020, 24 in Morena in January 2021 and over seven in a liquor-related incident in Mandsaur in 2021.

He also referred to 20 hooch deaths reported in Sagar district in September 2026.

The Congress leader further cited recent deaths reported in Chandana and Bisakhana villages in Dewas district, alleging that the BJP government had failed to prevent recurring tragedies. However, the circumstances and causes of the latest reported deaths remain under investigation. “The state’s administrative system has completely collapsed,” Patwari said, urging the Centre to intervene and ensure accountability.

He alleged that the illegal liquor trade involved organised networks spanning raw material supplies, packaging, transportation and distribution. He called for coordinated action by agencies across states to dismantle these networks.

Patwari also sought a review of the state’s excise administration, a probe into alleged monitoring failures in the Sagar case, financial assistance for victims’ families and proper treatment for those affected.

“People of Madhya Pradesh no longer want assurances; they want results,” he wrote, demanding punishment for those found guilty and accountability for officials responsible for lapses.

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