Jaipur: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot hit out Friday at the Centre over the CBI raid at his brother’s residence. Ashok Ghelot said that the incident is not going to create panic for him but will ultimately harm the BJP only.
Gehlot said that the raid was an act of revenge by the centre for his recent activism in Delhi. Rajasthan Congress president Govind Singh Dotasra and former Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot also criticised the CBI action by calling it motivated by political vendetta.
The CBI raided Agrasen Gehlot’s residence Friday in Jodhpur in connection with a corruption case. An Enforcement Directorate (ED) team too had raided his place in 2020.
“If I am active in Delhi or have participated in this movement for Rahul Gandhi, then why revenge is taken from my brother? When there was a political crisis here in our government in 2020, at that time also the ED had raided my brother’s place,” Gehlot told reporters at the airport here after returning from the national capital.
“It’s not fair. We are not going to panic because of this. No member of my family is involved in politics. It is beyond comprehension that first they conducted an ED raid, and now a raid by the CBI. Even the people of the country have no taste for this. At last, the loss will only be of BJP and of the central government. The more they harass the people of the country, the more adverse impact they will suffer,” asserted the chief minister.
Gehlot said that he had recently sought an appointment with the Director of CBI and the ED, and the Chairman of the Income Tax Department. “On June 13, time was sought, June 15 the case was registered, and June 17 there were raids. What is this approach, it is beyond comprehension?” Ghelot stated.
When asked about the ED summons to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Gehlot said, “You (Centre) are doing injustice to Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. They are being harassed. The whole country is watching this, there is resentment among the people and party workers.”
The CM also appealed to the youths agitating against the central government’s ‘Agnipath scheme’ to maintain peace.