Sachin Pilot, in an all-out attack on his rival, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, today said his leader seemed to be the BJP’s Vasundhara Raje, “not Sonia Gandhi”.
The sharp counter follows Ashok Gehlot’s stunning comment at the weekend that Vasundhara Raje helped save his government when Sachin Pilot revolted in 2020 along with a few MLAs.
“After hearing the Chief Minister’s speech, I think his leader is not Sonia Gandhi but his leader is Vasundhara Raje,” Mr Pilot told reporters.
“He alleges that BJP tried to topple his government. Then he says a BJP leader helped save his government. He should explain the contradiction.”
At a rally in Dholpur, the Chief Minister had claimed that Vasundhara Raje and two other BJP leaders helped save his government and money was offered to MLAs to switch to the BJP and topple his government.
Not mincing words, Mr Pilot accused Mr Gehlot of insulting his own party MLAs and harming his own party ahead of elections.
“I now understand why no action was taken against corruption by the Vasundhara Raje government despite my repeated requests,” Mr Pilot said, accusing Ashok Gehlot of trying to stall investigations because of a secret understanding with the BJP leaders.
The former Deputy Chief Minister said he had tolerated much name-calling and attacks from Mr Gehlot over the past two-and-a-half years. “Despite such abuses, I didn’t say anything as I didn’t want to damage the party. I was accused of being a traitor. In 2020, we wanted a leadership change in Rajasthan. We had spoken to Ahmed Patel and a roadmap was made ready,” he said.
“He even insulted Sonia Gandhi.”
Mr Pilot also announced a “Jan Sangharsh Yatra” from Ajmer to Jaipur to highlight corruption and youth-related issues, in more embarrassment for the Congress months before the Rajasthan election.
“The yatra is not against anyone but is against corruption,” he declared.
