Rajasthan: Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Saturday filed a defamation case against Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot in New Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court for making misleading statements against him. BJP’s Lok Sabha MP from Jodhpur, Rajasthan Shekhawat has sought financial compensation against the Rajasthan Chief Minister for damaging his reputation. The Rajasthan CM has accused the Union Minister of being involved in the ‘Sanjeevani Cooperative Society Scam’, which he says has “looted life deposits of over one lakh victims amounting to over Rs 900 crore”. Earlier today, Gehlot had said that he would welcome Shekhawat’s move to file a defamation case against him as it would bring the matter into national focus.
Asked about Shekhawat planning to file a defamation case against him in Delhi, the chief minister told reporters, “I will welcome it (defamation case).
The CM has accused me, he is not concerned about the transactions and investments of the Credit Cooperative Society. He did not stop even after repeated FIRs. I have filed a defamation case against the CM: Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat pic.twitter.com/bPlLxpTRE3– ANI (@ANI) March 4, 2023
“This man (Shekhawat) should be ashamed of himself. Being a Union minister, he should have called the victims and helped them get justice,” he said.
Gehlot said that the Rajasthan government is ready to cooperate in the investigation of the case. He said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah should pay attention to this scam.
The scam pertains to multi-state cooperative societies. If it was a matter of our state, we would have dealt with it. Now, this is the job of the Centre. We had written to ED for action. But nothing happened: Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot pic.twitter.com/0VLbSaw31l– ANI (@ANI) March 4, 2023
The senior Congress leader said his government has written to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to probe the matter but to no avail. He said that the power to attach the property rests with the ED and the Special Operations Group of the state police cannot confiscate the property of the accused.