Amid the ongoing political turmoil in Rajasthan, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot yesterday fired a fresh salvo at his political rival Sachin Pilot alleging that he played a very dirty game and conspired to topple his own government.
Gehlot called the former deputy chief minister ‘nikamma’ (useless or worthless) and ‘nakara’ (purposeless).
Speaking to the media, Gehlot said, “There was no lack of respect for Pilot in the party, but he played a very dirty game and conspired to please the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party).”
Gehlot also questioned how Pilot was able to pay his lawyers’ fee.
“Harish Salve is fighting his case, where is so much money coming from? It’s anarchy being reported inside the country. Amid all these, Pilot’s face and character has been exposed. Our MLAs are held hostage in Gurgaon,” he added.
“We knew he was good for nothing, had no better work than instigating people to fight.”
The chief minister said some MLAs from the Pilot camp are now saying that their mobile phones have been forcefully taken away and that they want to return to the Congress.
“You might have never heard in history that a party’s state head is busy toppling his own government,” Gehlot said. Pilot was sacked as deputy chief minister and Rajasthan Congress chief after he revolted against the party.
Reacting to Gehlot’s comments, Pilot said he was saddened but not surprised to be at the receiving end of such “baseless and vexatious allegations”.
“This is done solely to malign me and to stifle the legitimate concerns that I had raised against the party leadership of the state, as a member and MLA of Congress. This attempt further aims at defaming me and attacking my credibility.”
Pilot said “the narrative is being redirected to avoid addressing the main issue. I will be taking appropriate and strictest possible legal action against the MLA who was made to make these accusations. I am sure more such concocted allegations will be thrown at me to cause aspersions on my public image. But I shall be unfettered and remain firm in my beliefs and convictions,” Pilot added.
Meanwhile, during hearing in the Rajasthan High Court on a petition filed by Pilot and 18 other Congress MLAs against disqualification notices issued to them by the assembly speaker, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing on behalf of the speaker, argued that the petition of the Pilot faction is premature and hence should be dismissed.
Singhvi said: “The speaker has just given notices, not disqualified the MLAs. The speaker’s order can be challenged only on limited ground, so there is no basis in the petition filed by the Pilot faction.”
He said “the Supreme Court in its decision on January 21 said that the court cannot interfere in the powers of the speaker, so why is this being debated? There cannot be a judicial review of the notice of the speaker. The notice is not against the Freedom of Speech. Anti-party activities are political sins and also legally wrong.”
While the Pilot camp is being represented by two of India’s top lawyers - former attorney general Mukul Rohatgi and Harish Salve, the Rajasthan speaker is being represented by Congress leader Singhvi.
The rebels have argued that they can’t be served notices when the assembly is not in session.
Meanwhile, Congress sources say the party leadership has tried its best to retain Pilot in the party fold.
Congress spokesman Randeep Surjewala said: “Two senior members of the Congress Working Committee spoke to him at least eight times. Congress general secretary K C Venugopal also spoke to him two to three times. Even members of the Gandhi family spoke to Pilot to persuade him to come back in the party fold.”
“Now Sachin Pilot has to decide if he wanted to be trapped in the BJP conspiracy or come out of the clutches,” added Surjewala.
Sources say Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had also spoken to Pilot but he said he did not need the advice of the party leadership.
Sources close to the deliberations said that Pilot’s only condition was that he be made the chief minister but the party told him he could be accommodated outside Rajasthan.
The Congress leaders who wanted him back in the party said, on condition of anonymity, that the Congress cannot rely on him anymore as he is hobnobbing with the BJP.
Ashok Gehlot
