Pilot camp denies meeting BJP leader

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No one from the BJP either met us or dares to meet us. It is an attempt to defame us

nJAIPUR: A rebel Congress lawmaker from former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot’s camp on Tuesday denied claims that they met state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief, Satish Poonia, in Haryana’s Manesar twice in July amid alleged attempts to topple chief minister Ashok Gehlot’s government in the state.

The BJP has maintained it has nothing to do with the rebellion against Gehlot.

An officer, who is part of the Special Operations Group (SOG) probe into the alleged attempts, on Monday said Poonia met the Pilot camp lawmakers between July 18 and July 29.

Murari Meena, the rebel lawmaker from Dausa, said the news about their alleged meetings with Poonia has been spread to defame them.

“No one from the BJP either met us or dares to meet us. It is an attempt to defame us,” said Meena over the telephone from Manesar.

Poonia has also denied the claims about his meetings with the Pilot group. “I have never

MURARI MEENA, the rebel Congress lawmaker from Dausa met Pilot or any other rebel MLA [member of legislative assembly]. Police are speaking the government’s language.”

Meena said they were yet to take a call on attending the assembly session from August 14.

“It is still 10 days away. We will sit together and decide on our future strategy.”

The SOG has separately dropped the sedition charges in the three cases related to alleged efforts to topple the Gehlot government and transferred them to the state’s anti-corruption bureau.

Pilot was removed as the Congress’s state unit chief and deputy chief minister for his rebellion last month against Gehlot. Pilot and 18 legislators supporting him on July 12 questioned Gehlot’s leadership and called for his removal.