Overview

• At a Bhopal press conference, Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Jitu Patwari claimed women in the state consume more alcohol than anywhere in India and blamed the BJP for substance abuse problems.
• NFHS-5 data cited by multiple reports show about 1.6% of women in Madhya Pradesh drink alcohol, compared with roughly 24% in Arunachal Pradesh and 16% in Sikkim.
• Chief Minister Mohan Yadav called the remark an insult to women and said Patwari should apologise, invoking state welfare schemes for women in his response.
• BJP national spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi denounced the statement as demeaning and pressed the Congress to apologise, framing it as part of an alleged anti-women mindset.
• Patwari defended his concern by pointing to perceived rises in alcohol and drug use and protests over illegal liquor, but he offered no new evidence overturning NFHS-5 figures and has not issued an apology.