‘I certainly have made mistakes, but not deceit’:Former minister Deepak Joshi breaks silence on marriage row; releases video message

Former Madhya Pradesh minister Deepak Joshi has responded publicly after three women claimed to be married to him. In a video shared on Facebook, he admitted to making mistakes but denied any dishonesty or fraud. The controversy began earlier this month after photos of his marriage surfaced on social media. Video message on Facebook On Saturday, Deepak Joshi uploaded a 1 minute 28 second video on Facebook. In the video, he said that success and failure are part of life. He admitted that he has made mistakes. However, he firmly stated that he has not committed dishonesty, deception or fraud. Joshi said he does not want to further publicise matters related to the private lives of the women, as they have already spoken publicly. He added that continuing such discussion would not be appropriate. Reference to his father’s legacy Joshi referred to his father, who is often described as a “saint of politics”. He said that because of this legacy, he believes he has not lost his path or purpose. He added that he will continue to fight for integrity, following his father’s values. Claims by 3 women The controversy involves three women who have claimed marriage with Deepak Joshi. One of them is Pallavi Raj, a former Congress state secretary. The other two women are Namrata Joshi and Shikha Joshi, who have also made similar claims. How the controversy began The issue became public on 4 December 2025. On that day, Pallavi Raj shared photos on her social media account. In the pictures, Deepak Joshi is seen applying vermilion to her hairline, a traditional sign of marriage. After the photos surfaced, the matter expanded beyond one claim, with two more women coming forward. The claims have triggered widespread discussion in political and public circles. So far, Joshi has chosen to defend his integrity while avoiding details about personal relationships.