Cong trashes BJP claim of making MP a developed state

Bhopal, Oct 14 (UNI) Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee President Suresh Pachouri today slammed the state's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) regime for its ''hollow claims'' of converting this state into a developed one.

Talking to reporters here, Mr Pachouri said that the BJP government lagged behind in all respects compared to the ten-year Congress regime and Madhya Pradesh's position slid downwards on the list of developing states.

Deviating from promises of all-round development, good governance and law and order -- banking on which the BJP wrested power -- the regime did just the opposite in its five-year ''misrule,'' he alleged.

''The reality is that Madhya Pradesh is at 30th position in the country vis-a-vis Gross Domestic Product,'' Mr Pachouri observed.

He alleged that corruption was so deep-rooted that it had become the ''the champion corrupt state of India.'' The state had also become numero uno as far as incidents of crime were concerned, he said while adding that 1,94,711 criminal cases were registered over five years.

Mr Pachouri alleged that 1,00,453 children less than a year old died due to malnutrition.

He also criticised the government for failure to curb communal violence and torture of Christians, tribals and dalits.

UNI BDG AC 1906