‘Red diary’ sparks row: Ex-minister, BJP MLA suspended from Rajasthan assembly
Rajasthan assembly speaker CP Joshi on Monday suspended sacked minister Rajendra Gudha from the House for the remainder of the ongoing session for “unruly behaviour”.
Rajasthan assembly speaker CP Joshi on Monday suspended sacked minister Rajendra Gudha from the House for the remainder of the ongoing session for “unruly behaviour” after he aggressively charged towards parliamentary affairs minister Shanti Dhariwal and hit his microphone, after which he was pushed and shoved by fellow Congress legislators.
Gudha, who had approached the speaker seeking an opportunity to speak on a red diary, which he claimed held details of irregular transactions in the Ashok Gehlot-led government, was forcefully taken out of the assembly by marshals following his suspension.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator Madan Dilawar was also suspended for the remainder of the ongoing assembly session, likely to be the last one for the 15th assembly as the state will go to polls later this year.
During the Zero Hour, Gudha entered the House and approached the speaker’s chair waiving the red diary. He sought time to speak on the entire development related to his sacking. However, speaker Joshi repeatedly asked the sacked minister to meet him in his chamber.
Opposition BJP legislators too created an uproar and stormed the well of the House over the issue, waving symbolic red diaries.
Meanwhile, as Dhariwal began to speak in the House, Gudha aggressively approached him and hit his microphone. After the incident, Congress legislator Rafiq Khan immediately pushed Gudha while minister Ramlal Jat and other other Congress MLAs also came forward and surrounded the sacked minister. They were seen pushing and shoving him.
Amid ruckus, the speaker adjourned the House till 2 pm.
When the House reassembled, parliamentary affairs minister Dhariwal proposed suspension of Gudha and Dilawar, saying Gudha insulted the speaker and obstructed the work of the House. “He hit the mic on my desk and moved towards me with the intention of causing serious injury to me. Had the MLAs and Marshal not stopped, a huge incident could have happened,” he said. “Till date, no such incident happened in the assembly. In view of Gudha’s unruly conduct, a proposal was made to suspend him from the remaining term of this House.”
On Dilawar, the minister said he also tried to attack him and presented an unparliamentary action. He too should be suspended, Dhariwal said.
The speaker accepted the proposal and suspended the two leaders for the remainder of the session.
Amid din, meanwhile, the assembly passed several bills, including the Kota Development Authority Bill, 2023, the Udaipur Development Authority Bill, 2023, Gandhi Vatika Trust Jaipur Bill, and the Rajasthan Platform Based Gig Workers (Registration and Welfare) Bill, 2023. After the bills were passed, the speaker adjourned the house for one hour.
After the house was adjourned, Gudha told reporters that he wanted to give a statement on the red diary but the speaker did not allow it. “Shanti Dhariwal stood to speak and I went to him and said that I wanted to give a statement in the House, but Congress MLAs pushed me to the ground and overpowered me. Some of them, including Shanti Dhariwal, kicked me and snatched the diary from me. However, some part of the diary was left with me,” he alleged.
Gudha said he will go among the people on Tuesday and will reveal the “secrets” of the diary. The sacked minister claimed that the diary was “secured” by him on the instruction of Gehlot during an income tax raid at the residence of RTDC chairman Dharmendra Rathore.
Gudha was sacked on July 21 from his post as minister of state for Sainik Kalyan (independent charge), home guard and civil defence, panchayati raj and rural development, hours after he cornered the state government over the law and order situation and women safety in the assembly.
Senior BJP leader and leader of opposition Rajendra Rathore termed “shameful” the developments in the assembly. “Gudha wanted to give a statement and he should have been allowed,” he told reporters outside the assembly. “Everybody in Rajasthan wants to know the mystery of the red diary. Why are the government and its head so nervous about it?”
