Madhya Pradesh’s political theater took center stage Wednesday when Congress lawmakers, under Umang Singhar’s command, staged a poignant protest with empty piggy banks outside the assembly. Targeting the state’s ballooning debt—now over Rs 5 lakh crore—the opposition painted a picture of economic distress during the budget session’s third day.
Placards in hand, the MLAs stood before Gandhi’s iconic statue, voicing chants against policies that have piled loans atop loans. Singhar, the fiery Leader of Opposition, accused the regime of data manipulation, noting pre-budget borrowings of Rs 5,600 crore as proof of desperation.
“This piggy bank represents the shattered savings of Madhya Pradesh’s people,” he declared. Inflation has ravaged households, he added, while rosy economic survey stats—like Rs 15,000-20,000 per capita monthly earnings—mock the truth of widespread poverty.
Calling for a white paper to unveil the fiscal mess, Singhar warned that unchecked debt threatens long-term growth. The government’s alleged misuse of tax funds for self-serving ends has left development in tatters, he contended.
This calculated display of discontent highlights deepening rifts in the assembly. With the budget under scrutiny, Congress aims to galvanize public outrage, positioning debt as the election-defining issue it could become. The government’s response will be watched closely as the session progresses.