Jaipur: Former deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot Tuesday said that Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot’s leader was not Sonia Gandhi but BJP’s Vasundhara Raje.
“This fact has become clear from the speech of the Chief Minister, which he delivered the day before yesterday in Dholpur,” he said.
Pilot raised questions on Gehlot’s statement “that praised BJP leaders, but tarnished the image of the party’s own MPs and MLAs”.
Gehlot Sunday said that former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and two BJP leaders, namely Kailash Meghwal and Shobharani Kushwaha, helped him in saving his government.
Speaking on Gehlot’s statement, Pilot said, “Gehlot should explain why there are two faces to his statement. If he says that BJP was trying to topple the government and on the other side, he says that Raje was trying to save his government, then what does he want to say.”
Pilot was holding a press conference Tuesday at his residence.
He said that he wondered why no action was taken against alleged corruption under Raje’s tenure. He said that after Gehlot’s Dholpur address, it has become clear why action was not taken against such corrupt deeds.
Pilot said, “For the first time, I am seeing that someone is criticizing his own party’s MPs and MLAs. The praise of BJP leaders and the insult of Congress leaders is beyond my understanding. This is completely wrong.
“From the words of the Chief Minister, it seems that their leader is Vasundhara Raje, not Sonia Gandhi,” he said.
Surprisingly, Pilot called a press conference when Rahul Gandhi has reached Mount Abu to attend Congress’s Sarvodayi training camp.
Pilot said, “We had gone to Delhi and shared our concerns with the high command. Also, I wrote letters for several months on the issue of corruption in Vasundharaji’s regime. I also staged a one-day fast. But no action was taken on any of our demands. I understand why action was not taken. Now I am hopeless. The public is God. Everyone will have to bow down before the public. So will take out a march (Jan Sangharsh Yatra) from Ajmer to Jaipur May 11 against corruption. This will be a 125 km long journey and it will take five days.
“We will go to people and will raise issues related to youths’ issues which includes the paper leak. The RPSC officials’ role was found in the paper leak case. Its headquarter is in Ajmer. Hence Ajmer has been chosen for the yatra”, he said.
“This yatra is not against anyone but is against corruption. We will try to become people’s voice via this yatra,” he added.
He also said, “Charges of treason were levelled against us, but thereafter, a committee was formed under the leadership of Ahmed Patel, and a roadmap was drawn later. Thereafter, we all worked to strengthen Congress. I was called ‘corona’, ‘gaddar (traitor)’ and ‘nikamma (useless)’ but we continued working to strengthen the party.”
Answering a query on Gehlot’s allegations that some MLAs were lured by giving Rs 10 crore to Rs 20 crore, he said, “I have been hearing such allegations for last three years, if they want to take action, should take it, why there is delay in taking action,” he questioned.
“Some people are trying to weaken Congress, but we will not let them become successful in their attempt,” he added.
Gehlot in his Sunday speech accused the MLAs of Pilot Camp in Dholpur of taking Rs 10 to 20 crore bribe during a political crisis. Gehlot also advised the MLAs to return Amit Shah’s money.
Sachin Pilot is continuously raising the issue of no action being taken against corruption during BJP rule.
Pilot again raised the issue of corruption in the meeting organised on the occasion of the inauguration of a hostel built in the memory of the son of Minister Hemaram Chaudhary in Barmer. Pilot said that raising the issue of corruption under the BJP rule made many people upset, but he did not care. “I will keep raising my voice against corruption,” he said,
The very next day, in Rajakhera of Dholpur, Chief Minister Gehlot accused the Pilot camp of taking money from Amit Shah. Now the war of words between the two leaders has intensified on this issue.
IANS