Probe minister’s audio clip defaming colleague: Cong

JAIPUR HITTING OUT AT THE BJP GOVERNMENT, THE CONGRESS SAID THAT DESPITE HAVING A WOMAN CHIEF MINISTER, RAJASTHAN WAS UNSAFE

FOR WOMEN

: The Congress has demanded a high-level inquiry after an audio clip emerged of a BJP MLA making derogatory comments against BJP Sirohi zila pramukh.

The audio clip is allegedly of BJP’s Gaupalan minister Otaram Dewasi. In the clip, Dewasi, who is BJP’s MLA from Sirohi, is heard talking to someone and saying that zila pramukh Payal Parasrampuria has met two cabinet ministers and an IAS officer, who were putting pressure on the district collector to get her works done as she is the future MLA.

Hitting out at the BJP government, the Congress said that despite having a woman chief minister, Rajasthan was unsafe for women.

In a press conference, Congress leader Archana Sharma said that Dewasi had made the derogatory comments against the zila pramukh in a local dialect. “The BJP talks of cleanliness and high standards in politics but look at the plight of women leaders in that party,” she said.

While Parasrampuria’s phone was switched off, Dewasi denied the allegations. “She is like my daughter. I helped her become a zila pramukh. How can I bad mouth her?” he said.

Dewasi said that it was election season and such audio clips were being circulated.

“This is a political conspiracy,” he said.

While Dewasi denied the allegations, the Congress wanted a forensic investigation of the audio clip so that it could be established why he made such allegations against two ministers, an IAS officer and Parasrampuria.

Sharma also said the rape and murder of a girl child in Jhalawar, chief minister Vasundhara Raje’s own constituency, shows how unsafe the state is for women.

Rehana Riyaz, president of the Congress women’s cell, said that according to government data, over 3,300 cases of rape have been registered in the state in 2016.

“The government is unable to stop crime.”

Referring to the hike in allowances for anganbari workers, Sharma said the chief minister had announced a marginal hike to win laurels from the public. She said the government had misused government machinery and ferried anganbari workers in state transport for a felicitation programme for the chief minister.

Riyaz alleged the government is not giving minimum wages to anganbari workers.

On the killing of a sarpanch by mining mafia in Sawai Madhopur, Sharma said this proved that the government is protecting the mining mafia who are operating with impunity.