MP Congress chief Jitu Patwari has asked Union home minister Amit Shah to order a fact-based probe into the absence of Balaghat’s collector and superintendent of police during Rahul Gandhi’s visit to the district on October 1, arguing that the officials’ non-appearance requires scrutiny because the area had been identified as sensitive and formerly Naxal-affected.
In a letter to Shah, Patwari questioned whether the Balaghat district administration and police had followed security, protocol and duty requirements linked to the visit of the Leader of Opposition. He sought details of when the state government and district authorities were informed about the programme, what written instructions were issued, and whether a formal duty chart was prepared for senior officials.
According to Patwari, Balaghat police had contacted Baihar MLA and district Congress chief Sanjay Uikey on September 29 to seek information about the proposed visit. The police allegedly asked about the expected crowd, volunteers, parking arrangements, traffic management and people likely to meet Gandhi. Patwari said these communications showed that the administration and police had prior information about the programme.
The Congress leader asked whether the collector and SP had obtained permission to remain absent and whether other officials had been formally authorised to discharge their duties during the visit. He also sought access to security and protocol documents connected with the programme, including instructions issued by the state government, home department, police headquarters or district authorities.
Patwari urged the Union home ministry to seek a factual report and asked the Madhya Pradesh government to provide a written explanation. He said disciplinary action should be considered if the inquiry establishes that an official violated a written instruction or failed to comply with assigned duties. The report does not indicate that the Union home ministry or the Madhya Pradesh government has announced a probe or responded to the demand.
The episode places attention on how security coordination and administrative accountability are managed during visits by senior political leaders, particularly in districts where police planning includes crowd control, traffic regulation and protection assessments. The police communication cited by Patwari indicates that operational preparations had been discussed before the visit, but the available report does not establish why the collector and SP were absent or whether their absence breached any protocol.
Patwari also used his letter ahead of Shah’s scheduled October 3 visit to Bhopal to raise wider governance questions in Madhya Pradesh. He referred to the deaths of tribal children in Balaghat, suspected hooch deaths in Sagar and a contaminated-water incident in Indore, seeking details of investigations, regulatory oversight and action against those found responsible.
He further questioned the state’s finances, claiming that the government had borrowed three times in one month and that its total debt was nearing Rs 4 lakh crore. Patwari demanded a public account of the loans, interest liabilities and how the borrowed funds were being used. The available report does not provide an independent assessment of these figures or a response from the state government.
Patwari’s six questions also covered alleged coordination problems between ministers and officials, tribal welfare spending and government expenditure. The immediate next step sought in the letter is a factual report from the Union home ministry and a written explanation from the Madhya Pradesh government on the Balaghat visit and the other issues raised.
