Sachin Pilot vs Ashok Gehlot widening rift in Rajasthan Congress

Former Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Sachin Pilot, who started the Jan Sangharsh Yatra from Ajmer to Jaipur on Thursday, said he was not taking revenge on anyone. Pilot, who has been at loggerheads with Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, said Gehlot should break his silence on whether he is in collusion with former state CM Vasundhara Raje.

In an exclusive interview to India Today, Pilot said, “The party high command should look into the issues and resolve them as there is not much time left for the elections. Issues of corruption should be probed.”

Rejecting the Congress decree, which said Sachin Pilot’s protest was “against the interests of the party and an anti-party activity”, Tonk MLA Vasundhara Raje sought action in corruption cases during her tenure as chief minister. Sitting on a one-day dharna in Jaipur. Attacking Ashok Gehlot, Pilot accused the chief minister of sitting on corruption cases under the previous Vasundhara Raje government.

“Ashok Gehlot should speak about whether he is in collusion with Vasundhara Raje or not. I personally have no problem with anyone. Targeting small fish will not work. We fought on some issues after which we came to power It is important that those issues of corruption are probed,” Pilot told India Today.

On the issue of corruption, Pilot said that Gehlot himself had accused the then Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, saying that crores of rupees were going to Raje monthly, but when the party formed the government, he did not act on the allegations.

Congress party’s stand on Yatra?

Govind Singh Dotasara told reporters, “This is his personal yatra. It is not an organization yatra of the Congress. All I can say is that the yatra has not got any permission from the party unit in the state or the AICC.”

Is Sachin Pilot planning to leave Congress?

When asked if he has any plans to leave the Congress, Sachin Pilot said, “I have not hidden anything from anyone. Whatever I have done, I have done it openly. It is not for me to hide my Guessing about the future (whether I will contest or not) I myself join hands with you, RLP. Media is speculating.’

In the last few weeks, Pilot has criticized Gehlot on several occasions for allegedly not taking action in corruption cases. Amidst the power tussle between the two leaders, the Congress tweeted a video of Gehlot acting on the students’ demands, titled “Jana Jana Ke Mukhyamantri”.

Pilot, who was sacked as state Congress chief in 2020 for leading a rebellion against Gehlot, said, “I am taking out this yatra to raise my voice, to make your voice heard and to be the voice of the people.” Beginning of the trek.

Apart from corruption, the Yatra focuses on the paper leak cases in government recruitment exams. The Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC) is based in Ajmer, which is also the constituency from where Pilot has been elected to Parliament in the past.

He also questioned Gehlot’s reported claim that “no politician or official” was involved in the paper leak cases.