- Jeetu Patwari claimed women in Madhya Pradesh consume more alcohol than anywhere else in India
- Patwari accused BJP of failing to control liquor and narcotics trade in Madhya Pradesh
- BJP leaders called Patwari's remarks baseless, defamatory, and an assault on women's dignity
Madhya Pradesh Congress president Jeetu Patwari has triggered a political storm with his controversial claim that women in Madhya Pradesh consume more alcohol than anywhere else in the country. Addressing a press conference in Bhopal, Mr Patwari also alleged that the BJP government's policies had turned the state, once projected as the land of prosperity, into a state drowned in intoxication.
Mr Patwari accused the ruling party of failing to curb the booming liquor and narcotics trade, claiming that the situation had spiraled to the point where women and young girls were falling prey to addiction.
"Our sisters and daughters have started consuming intoxicants. The BJP sought votes in the name of schemes like Ladli Behna, but never took serious steps to protect women from substance abuse. Today, Madhya Pradesh has been reduced to a state where women consume alcohol the most in India," Mr Patwari said.
The comments drew a sharp rebuttal from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, with party spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi calling it "indecent."
State party spokesperson Neha Bagga also dismissed the remarks as baseless and defamatory, accusing Mr Patwari of maligning women to score political points. "When a leader runs out of substance, he resorts to false figures to insult women. This is not just a murder of statistics, but an assault on women's dignity. Women are not intoxicated, your mindset is," Mr Bagga retorted.
Official data, too, contradicts Mr Patwari's statement. According to the National Family Health Survey-5 (NFHS-5), women's alcohol consumption is highest in Arunachal Pradesh, where nearly 26 percent of women drink alcohol. In Sikkim, the figure stands at 16.2 percent, while Assam, Telangana, and Jharkhand also feature among the top states. In stark contrast, only 1.6 percent of women in Madhya Pradesh consume alcohol, placing the state far below the national average.
Mr Patwari's remarks have ignited another round of bitter political sparring in the state. While Congress insists the government has failed to tackle the menace of drugs and alcohol, the BJP accuses the opposition of peddling lies and dragging women into political mudslinging.
