Minister Issues Corrective Statement in Assembly on Misinformation

Minister Corrects Assembly Statement on Misinformation

The Cliff News | Bhopal | July 22, 2026 During the monsoon session of the Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly, School Education Minister Rao Uday Pratap Singh presented a significant corrective statement on Wednesday. This statement aimed to rectify factually incorrect information previously provided by the government in response to an issue raised by Congress MLA and former minister Jaivardhan Singh.

Background of the Issue

The matter traces back to the Assembly session in July 2025, when Jaivardhan Singh posed a starred question related to the School Education Department. The answer provided by the department was alleged to contain inaccurate information. Recognizing this discrepancy, Jaivardhan Singh escalated the issue to Assembly Speaker Narendra Singh Tomar and the Principal Secretary of the Assembly, lodging multiple written complaints.

Delay in Acknowledging Error

Understanding the gravity of the situation, Jaivardhan Singh raised the same subject again during the Assembly session in November 2025. This time, the department acknowledged that the information previously presented to the House was erroneous. Following this admission, Jaivardhan Singh wrote to the Assembly Speaker, requesting the minister to issue a corrective statement in the House as per the rules.

Procedural Steps for Correction

Under the Speaker's direction, the Assembly Secretariat instructed the School Education Department to take necessary action. The department then prepared the minister's corrective statement and submitted it to the Assembly. As per protocol, the Assembly Secretariat also obtained consent from Jaivardhan Singh regarding this matter. After these procedural steps, on the third day of the 2026 monsoon session, Wednesday, Rao Uday Pratap Singh finally presented the corrective statement in the House, amending the previously provided misinformation.

Opposition's Accountability and Assembly's Dignity

Reacting to the incident, Congress MLA Jaivardhan Singh stated that the Assembly is the highest forum of democracy, and it is the government's paramount duty to provide factual, accurate, and complete information to the House. He expressed concern that in recent times, many government departments are providing incomplete, misleading, or incorrect answers to questions posed by MLAs, which is not only against the dignity of the House but also a breach of the privileges of the MLAs.

Jaivardhan Singh emphasized that the opposition's role is not just to ask questions but also to hold the government accountable. He warned that if the government or its departments provide incorrect information to the House, the Congress will oppose it at every level and use the rules to compel the government to provide the correct information. He cited this case as an example of how a dedicated MLA, through persistent efforts with facts, can compel the government to correct its mistakes.

Steps Forward for the Future

Jaivardhan Singh expressed gratitude to the Assembly Speaker for taking the matter seriously and ensuring action in accordance with the rules. He also raised a significant demand for the future: to ensure accountability of the concerned officials in cases where any department provides incorrect or misleading information to the House. He believes that such steps are essential to uphold the dignity of the Assembly and the credibility of the democratic system.

This incident underscores the importance of government transparency, the integrity of the legislative process, and the oversight role of the opposition. Providing accurate information to the House is not only a legal requirement but also a fundamental principle of good governance and accountability to the public.