Sachin Pilot intensifies criticism of Ashok Gehlot, announces five-day yatra

Pilot raised doubts about Ashok Gehlot’s loyalty to the Congress leadership while citing a recent speech made by the Chief Minister.

“After listening to the CM’s speech in Dholpur, I feel his leader is not Sonia Gandhi, his leader is Vasundhara Raje,” Pilot said, while speaking to reporters at his residence in Jaipur.

During a program in Dholpur on May 7, Ashok Gehlot claimed that Vasundhara Raje, a former Chief Minister of Rajasthan, along with two other BJP leaders, Kailash Meghwal and Shobharani Kushwah, aided in saving his government during the 2020 rebellion against him by some Congress legislators, including Sachin Pilot.

Vasundhara Raje refuted Gehlot’s assertion as a “plot” and alleged that the Chief Minister was “lying out of his fear of losing the 2023 state assembly elections”.

In his speech, Ashok Gehlot stated that he had asked Congress legislators who “took the money” during the 2020 political crisis to give it back to Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

The Chief Minister accused Union Ministers Amit Shah, Gajendra Shekhawat, and Dharmendra Pradhan of plotting to overthrow his government by offering money to Congress MLAs in Rajasthan. Gehlot also claimed that if the MLAs did not return the money, they would be under Amit Shah’s pressure forever.

Pilot said that there is no truth to these claims and added that if there was any evidence to support such claims, action should have been taken by Gehlot already.

Sachin Pilot indirectly criticized Ashok Gehlot, implying that people who have relied on the power of money throughout their political career tend to perceive money in every situation.

“On one hand you say the BJP was trying to topple the Congress government, on the other hand you say the BJP saved the Congress government. Please clarify what you are saying,” he said.

Sachin Pilot, who is an MLA from Tonk, criticized Ashok Gehlot, saying that by making baseless allegations, he is not only insulting his own party’s MLAs but also damaging the party’s prospects ahead of the upcoming assembly elections.

During July 2020, Sachin Pilot, who was the then deputy chief minister, along with 18 other Congress MLAs rebelled against Ashok Gehlot’s leadership in Rajasthan. The situation lasted for almost a month and was eventually resolved after the party high command intervened and removed Pilot from his position as the deputy CM and state Congress chief.

“These are allegations of corruption that I made and Gehlot made on public platforms and in press conferences but no probe was carried out. Now I understand why no probe was instituted… despite my continually writing letter and sitting on a daylong fast on April 11… now I lost hope… facts are coming to light as to why no action will be taken,” he added.

He said he will raise issues related to the state’s youth during his 125-km foot march from Ajmer to Jaipur, starting on Thursday. “I believe the right decisions are only taken when one has the people’s support… Any further decision will be taken after this yatra,” he said, adding that the march will be completed in five days.

Sachin Pilot mentioned that he and some other Congress leaders had expressed their desire for a leadership change in Rajasthan to the party leaders in Delhi, who accepted their views. However, no further action was taken.