Pilot’s fast against party interests: AICC Rajasthan in-charge

Jaipur: Sachin Pilot’s plan to hold a day-long fast is “against party’s interests”, and amounts to “anti-party activity”, All India Congress Committee (AICC) in-charge of Rajasthan, Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, said on Monday, a day after Pilot attacked the Ashok Gehlot government.

In a fresh salvo against his own party’s government, Pilot on Sunday announced a day-long anshan (fast) on April 11 in Jaipur against alleged inaction of state authorities on corruption charges against the former regime led by Vasundhara Raje. The infighting could dent the prospects of the Congress government returning to power in the assembly elections due this year.

“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 public. I have been an AICC in-charge for five months and Pilot ji has never discussed this issue with me. I am in touch with him and I still appeal for calm dialogue since he is an indisputable asset to the Congress party,” Randhawa said in a statement tweeted by INC Sandesh, an official page of the Congress party .

Earlier in the day, Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera also reacted to Pilot’s allegations, saying that a probe was ongoing against BJP leader Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, who is currently the water resources minister in the Union cabinet, related to the Sanjivani Credit Cooperative Society scam. Shekhawat has filed a defamation case against Gehlot.

“It is wrong to say that a probe is not on, as an investigation is being carried out and if anyone has a complaint, he should bring it to the notice of the AICC in-charge,” Khera said. Pilot had earlier led a rebellion against Gehlot in July 2020, which was resolved in Gehlot’s favour.

Khera refused to speak further on the issues raised by Pilot. The Congress has thrown its weight behind Gehlot and said his government has given the state a leadership position in governance in the country and it will seek a renewed mandate on the strength of its achievements as well as collective efforts of the organisation.

Khera’s statement came a day after Rajya Sabha MP and Congress leader Jairam Ramesh backed Gehlot. The Congress government in Rajasthan has introduced many schemes and taken many initiatives that have helped the people, Ramesh said.

“Due to the dedication and determination of the party organization in Rajasthan, the Bharat Jodo Yatra became a grand success in the state,” Ramesh said. “At the end of this year, on the basis of these historical achievements and our organization’s collective efforts, the Congress will go among the people and ask for the mandate to serve again.”

Speaking on the issue, Gehlot loyalist and state minister Ram Lal Jat said, “It is better if discipline is maintained.”

Taking to Twitter, Sandeep Choudhary, chairman of the state’s Wasteland and Pasture Development Board, said: “Ghar ki baat, ghar mein honi chahiye (internal matters should be discussed internally) and not on roads. If Pilot has complaints he should speak to state Party incharge Sukhjinder Singh Randhwa or party chief (Mallikarjun) Kharge but by not doing so he is damaging the Congress and diverting from the fight against corruption by Rahul Gandhi.”

The Congress government in Rajasthan seems to be divided into two factions, said BJP’s Arjun Ram Meghwal, junior minister for parliamentary affairs and culture at the Centre. There is no development, governance is missing and the people are suffering, he said. “I believe the people will teach them a lesson in the coming elections,” Meghwal added.

Instead of making unfounded allegations against the previous BJP regime, Pilot should have demanded fair investigation in the cases of corruption that happened during the tenure of his government, leader of the opposition Rajendra Rathore said.

(With agency inputs)