Pilot camp MLAS continue to attack govt
Ex-speaker says AICC panel has failed to resolve issues even after 10 months; phone-tapping charges levelled
Demanding cabinet expansion and political appointments, MLAS loyal to Sachin Pilot continued to attack the Ashok Gehlot government, while the former Rajasthan deputy chief minister is camping in Delhi to meet central leaders.
Five-time MLA and former speaker Deepender Singh Shekhawat said on Sunday, “The committee formed by AICC to resolve the issues has done nothing. The people who worked to bring the Congress to power are not respected, which is disappointing.”
Shekhawat was referring to the committee formed by the Congress high command under Rajasthan in charge Ajay Maken to resolve the issues raised by the Pilot camp. After their rebellion against the Gehlot government in July 2020, Pilot and his supporting 18 MLAS returned to the party fold following the formation of the committee. A few days back, Pilot said that the party high command was yet to resolve the issues that led to his rebellion and that the committee constituted to address the concerns he raised had failed to deliver.
“The high command had constituted the committee to resolve our issues raised 10 months back, but nothing has been done till date. Those who helped the Congress in forming the government in Rajasthan aren’t being respected. The works of MLAS and public aren’t being done,” said Shetold khawat.
“The MLAS are disappointed and I hope that the leadership will understand the MLAS’ pain and take a decision. A decision should be taken swiftly, which will be in the interest of the party.”
A senior leader familiar with the political developments said the Congress leadership will take up the Rajasthan issue in a day two after resolving the crisis in Punjab.
The internal turmoil in Rajasthan Congress is intensifying as half a dozen MLAS from the Pilot camp have come out in the last few days to question the delay by the AICC panel to resolve their issues.
Shekhawat’s comments came a day after Congress MLA from Chaksu, Ved Prakash Solanki, a vocal supporter of Pilot, alleged that some MLAS
him that their phones were being tapped.
He declined to name the MLAS. Party chief whip Mahesh Joshi, however, called the charges baseless.
Last July, when Pilot and 18 Congress MLAS rebelled against Gehlot, one of the accusations they levelled was about illegal phone-tapping. The charges gained ground when an audio clip on conversations allegedly between a union minister and two Congress MLAS was shared by Gehlot’s officer on special duty.
BJP state president Satish Poonia said, “The state government is doing phone tapping and spying, so my question to the chief minister is who are those MLAS whose phones are being tapped? If such an exercise is done in a democratic state, then the culprits are the chief minister and home minister. They will have to answer in the court of public, if not today then tomorrow.”