Orchha: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has accused the Congress of treating Muslims as a vote bank, alleging that such appeasement politics led the opposition party to truncate key verses of the national song 'Vande Mataram' even prior to Independence.

The Congress continues to pursue the same strategy, Yadav stated on Monday while addressing the closing session of the state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) executive committee meeting in the temple town of Orchha, located in Niwari district.

He urged party cadres to engage with the public to highlight the achievements of the BJP-led administrations at both the central and state levels, whilst building public sentiment across Madhya Pradesh against the primary opposition party's appeasement policies.

"The Congress has always taken the votes of the Muslim community and gained power, but has never worked for their development. They were simply used as a vote bank," the chief minister alleged.

The Muslim community placed blind trust in the Congress, yet the party worked to drive a wedge between Hindus and Muslims, he charged, adding that the Congress resisted parts of 'Vande Mataram' before Independence and persists with that stance today.

Historically, only two stanzas of Vande Mataram were performed at gatherings and official functions. However, during the winter session of Parliament, the NDA government passed legislation providing legal protection to the full six-stanza version of the national song.

The move sparked controversy over the performance of Vande Mataram at Congress headquarters on 15 August. Subsequently, on 19 August, the Congress Working Committee resolved to perform only the initial two stanzas during its official events.

The BJP has continuously targeted the Congress over the matter, claiming the decision was made solely to satisfy minority communities.

Chief Minister Yadav asserted that opposition parties were taking a "double-faced" stance on key political issues.

Pointing to the planned implementation of the Uniform Civil Code in Madhya Pradesh, he claimed that while the Congress avoided filing direct objections to the UCC, which introduces a single body of personal law for all residents, it prompted two of its Muslim MLAs to voice opposition to the measure.

In a statement released later, Yadav accused the Congress of making concessions with the Muslim League to secure power and of consistently fanning social divisions.

"Due to its hunger for power, the Congress has repeatedly attempted to divide society. In contrast, the BJP works with the spirit of social harmony and Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas," the chief minister stated.

He maintained that the BJP's mission is to unite all sections of society while pursuing regional development.

Detailing the progress made under the state administration, Yadav highlighted major strides in electricity generation, education, healthcare, and job creation.

He noted that under previous Congress administrations, the state's annual budget stood at roughly 22,000 crore rupees, with power generation capacity hovering around 5,000 megawatts. Today, the state's budget has expanded to 4.38 lakh crore rupees, with power generation capacity reaching 31,000 megawatts.

Similarly, the number of MBBS seats in Madhya Pradesh has grown from 1,250 under the Congress era to 6,250 today, supported by 39 operational medical colleges and a target to cross 50 institutions, he noted.

"The target is to fill 2,50,000 posts in the next two years. The recruitment process is underway for 18,500 police posts. Recruitment is underway for 85,000 different types of posts. As many as 8,60,000 farmers are being given the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi, and monthly stipends are being deposited into the accounts of 1.25 crore Ladli sisters," the chief minister said.

Additionally, irrigated agricultural land in the state has expanded from approximately 7.5 lakh hectares during the Congress regime to 55 lakh hectares today, he stated.

Yadav described the Ken-Betwa River Linking Project as a historic milestone for the Bundelkhand region, stating it would revitalise the underdeveloped area through expanded irrigation, drinking water access, industrial growth, and power generation.

He added that while Bundelkhand suffered from migration and economic stagnation throughout decades of Congress rule, the current BJP government is guiding the region toward economic progress, enabling Bundelkhand to eventually outpace states like Punjab and Haryana in grain production.

PTI