Madhya Pradesh Minister vs Congress Over NDTV Report On Unclaimed Bodies

After NDTV's investigation revealed the chilling neglect of unclaimed bodies in Madhya Pradesh - buried in shallow pits, dragged like trash, sometimes gnawed by stray dogs - the political reaction has been swift, polarised, and charged with emotion.

While the state's Social Justice Minister, Narayan Singh Kushwah, insisted that all procedures are being followed "as per the rules," senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Digvijaya Singh lashed out at the Shivraj-Mohan Yadav government, calling the revelations "a humanitarian disaster" and "a betrayal even in death."

Read more: A Number, A Plastic Sheet, And A Death The System Forgot In Madhya Pradesh

"Rules Are Being Followed," Says Minister

Speaking to NDTV, Narayan Singh Kushwah, Minister for Social Justice and Welfare of Persons with Disabilities, said, "Whatever is being done is done as per laid-down norms. Sometimes, even when an unclaimed body is identified, no one comes forward to claim it. In such cases, we proceed according to protocol for cremation or burial." 

He added that the government offers Rs 3,000 under the Antyeshti Sahayata Yojana for the last rites of the poor, and that religious committees - Hindu or Muslim - are involved to ensure dignified final rites. 

"In many cases, photographs are taken and records are maintained. If someone is identified post-burial, we still document it properly. The process is systematic. If anyone is found involved in misappropriation - especially regarding kafans (shrouds) - action will be taken."

But Digvijaya Singh, former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh and sitting Rajya Sabha MP, was far from satisfied. He said NDTV's report had exposed a "rotting system that neither values life nor honours death." "This is not mismanagement - this is moral decay. Even the dead are betrayed now. NDTV's report is heartbreaking. This is how neglected the poor are in this state."

Slamming the government's "defensive and tone-deaf" response, he said, "You don't need a form to know that a dead body should be cremated or buried with dignity. What you need is conscience - and that is missing from this administration."

Mr Singh was particularly furious over NDTV's revelation that free shrouds distributed by the Prerna Seva Trust inside Hamidia Hospital were being stolen and sold on the black market for Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,500. "Selling kafans - is there anything more disgusting? These people should not only be removed, they should be criminally prosecuted. This is not a scam; this is a sin."

The Congress leader said he would be sending a formal letter to Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and the Chief Secretary, demanding urgent structural reform. "The Rs 3,000 funeral assistance is already in place. What's needed is the delegation of powers to local authorities, simplified processing, and accountability from top to bottom. How many unclaimed bodies come in a year? It's manageable. But no one cares - that's the real problem," he said.

While Minister Kushwah maintains that "due process is followed," NDTV's 10-day ground investigation revealed that many unclaimed bodies are buried without religious rites, in shallow 1-ft pits, often stacked over earlier graves, with no official presence during the burial. Former cremation workers told NDTV that dogs and pigs have fed on human remains, and bone piles lie scattered around the Bhadhbhada Vishram Ghat. "This is not a cremation ground. It's a graveyard of shame," Digvijaya Singh said.

Senior Congress leader and former union minister Arun Yadav said, "This isn't about caste or religion anymore. The poor have no identity in life, and now, not even in death. NDTV has done what the state should have done - investigate, expose, and demand dignity for all - even the forgotten."

The state government has yet to announce any corrective action. Meanwhile, the bodies continue to arrive, the pits remain shallow, and the questions deeper than ever.