New Delhi: The Congress on Monday called the proposed day-long fast by former Rajasthan deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot an ‘anti-party activity’ and appealed for calm. Pilot on Sunday claimed that the Ashok Gehlot-led government failed to investigate cases of alleged corruption during the Bharatiya Janata Party’s rule in Rajasthan and announced to hold a day-long fast on April 11 to press for action.
Taking strong objection to the proposed dharna, Sukhjinder Randhawa, the Congress’ Rajasthan in-charge, said he talked to Pilot during the day and told him to raise issues at party platforms instead of going public against its own government.
“Sachin Pilot’s day-long fast tomorrow is against the party interests and is anti-party activity. If there is any issue with his own government, it can be discussed in the party forums instead of in the media and the public,” Randhawa said in a statement.
He said that he has been the All-India Congress Committee (AICC) in-charge for the last five months and Pilot never discussed the issue with him.
“I am in touch with him and I still appeal for calm dialogue since he is an indisputable asset to the Congress party,” he added.
Statement issued by Shri Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, AICC In charge of Rajasthan. pic.twitter.com/PMn8aDdu0O— INC Sandesh (@INCSandesh) April 10, 2023
As per the latest media reports, Pilot, who has been at loggerheads with Ashok Gehlot over the post of chief minister ever since the Congress formed the government in Rajasthan in 2018, is likely to go ahead with his day-long fast on Tuesday.
Sachin Pilot opens new front against Ashok Gehlot
On Sunday, Sachin Pilot said he will observe the fast at Jaipur’s Shaheed Smarak on April 11 — the birth anniversary of Mahatma Jyotiba Phulewho was from the Saini community to which Gehlot belongs.
“No action was taken (by the Gehlot government) on the corruption of the previous Vasundhara Raje government. While in the Opposition, we promised an inquiry into the mines scam of Rs 45,000 crore,” Pilot said at a press conference.
The senior Congress leader stated that he wrote to Gehlot last year on March 28 and November 2 on the issue but did not get any answer to his letters.
He also showed videos of statements of Gehlot in the Assembly and outside in which he had leveled corruption allegations against the previous BJP government.
“With six-seven months left for the elections, the opponents can spread an illusion that there is some collusion. Therefore, action will have to be taken soon so that the Congress workers feel that there is no difference between our words and actions,” Pilot said.
#WATCH | Rajasthan: On April 11, I will do a one-day hunger strike to mark my words that action should be taken against corruption in the state so that the public does not feel that we are not doing any work or we have not fulfilled any of our promises: Sachin Pilot, Congress MLA pic.twitter.com/SNmwTDLdJq— ANI MP/CG/Rajasthan (@ANI_MP_CG_RJ) April 9, 2023
Pilot’s latest move to open the new front against Gehlot amid the factional fighting is seen as an attempt to pressure the high command to resolve the leadership issue ahead of the year-end Rajasthan assembly elections.
It is noteworthy that in July 2020, Pilot and a section of party MLAs rebelled openly, demanding a leadership change in the state.
Subsequently, it led to a one-month-long political crisis that ended after assurance by the party’s high command to look into the issues raised by Pilot.
Following the revolt by Pilot, Gehlot had used several derogatory terms for his former deputy and had accused him of being involved with the BJP leaders in a conspiracy to topple the Congress government.