Mumbai: News18’s Rising Madhya Pradesh summit in Bhopal brought together top political leaders from the state and renowned personalities from other spheres. The event saw several insightful sessions with the speakers engaged in an open dialogue, discussing the state's developmental challenges, and other issues of public concern.
The chief minister of Madhya Pradesh Shivraj Singh Chouhan was the chief guest of the evening. The Summit also saw participation from Shri V.D. Sharma, president of BJP (Madhya Pradesh); Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmer Welfare Shri Narendra Singh Tomar; Minister of State for Food Processing Industries Shri Prahlad Singh Patel; Minister of Housing and Urban Development Bhupendra Singh; State’s Home Minister Dr Narottam Mishra; Education Minister Mohan Yadav; Agriculture Minister Kamal Patel; Medical Education Minister Vishvas Kailash Sarang; Rajvardhan Singh Dattigaon, Minister of Industrial Policy and Investment Promotion; Panchayat Minister Mahendra Singh Sisodia; MLA Rameshwar Sharma; former Chief Minister Uma Bharti; opposition leader Shri Kamal Nath; region’s Congress in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala; Congress leaders and former ministers from the state - P.C. Sharma and Priyavrat Singh, among others.
Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan emphasised zero tolerance for disrespecting Sanatan principles while questioning Kamal Nath's silence on the issue. He expressed concerns about a conspiracy against Sanatan Dharma, explained the significance of Sanatan Dharma, and emphasized that it has endured the test of time and will always do. He also called Rahul Gandhi’s Jana Sampark Abhiyan a gimmick. The CM also highlighted the increasing support for BJP and predicted PM Modi's victory in the 2024 elections. Regarding changes in Madhya Pradesh, he stated that the people are with the BJP, with several Congress leaders joining the party. The Chief Minister assured there's no shortage of funds for development in Madhya Pradesh and claimed that there will be a huge BJP victory in the 2023 state assembly elections.
During his address, Kamal Nath, former Chief Minister and Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) Chief, expressed optimism stating that in the 2023 elections, the tables will turn in Madhya Pradesh. Meanwhile, V.D. Sharma, President of the Pradesh BJP stated that the party is confident about maximizing the number of seats that it will win in the upcoming elections.
Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar voiced concerns regarding those following seasonal Hindutva and indicated that while certain political parties have grown older, they have not become wiser. Former Minister Priyavrat Singh accused BJP of using religion as a smokescreen for its failures. In response, BJP MLA Rameshwar Sharma advised that religion should be kept above politics. Minister Rajvardhan Singh Dattigaon opined that the "Chalo Chalo" slogan took down the Kamal Nath government. On the other hand, Madhya Pradesh’s Congress in-charge and senior leader Randeep Singh Surjewala questioned the timing of BJP's initiatives for the poor, raising the issue of gas cylinder prices, which were brought down recently.
Uma Bharti, former Madhya Pradesh CM, compared Narendra Modi – Amit Shah to the Nar-Narayan. State ministers Vishvas Sarang, Kamal Patel, and Mohan Yadav too criticised the Congress party and praised the state government's achievements. Former Minister P.C. Sharma and Pradesh Mahila Congress President Vibha Patel spoke on unemployment and women's reservation, while giving credit to Rajiv Gandhi for his vision in introducing women's reservation bill.
Minister Prahlad Patel predicted a future devoid of discrimination between the advanced and backward segments of society, while BJP Secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya expressed confidence in party’s resounding victory in the upcoming elections. State Home Minister Dr. Narottam Mishra criticized the Congress for what he perceived as a threat to democracy, clarifying the BJP's stance against love jihad rather than love itself.
Guests from various other fields also shared their views on the stage. Pandokhar Maharaj emphasized on the importance of distinguishing between genuine and fraudulent spiritual leaders, while Pandit Pradeep Mishra shared his thoughts on religion and spirituality, advocating for the respectful veneration of God without arrogance.
Actress Fatima Sana Shaikh shared her personal educational challenges, revealing her failure in ninth-grade exams. Furthermore, filmmaker Raaj Shaandilyaa discussed the intricacies of comedy writing.
The "Rising Madhya Pradesh" Leadership Summit brought together a diverse array of voices and fostered insightful dialogues on ways to shape the state’s future.
