Senior Congress leader Sachin Pilot on Wednesday flagged the “inordinate delay” by the leadership in taking action against those who “disregarded” the then president Sonia Gandhi by not holding the Legislature Party meeting, and said the party’s affairs in Rajasthan were being taken up. Decision should be taken if the trend of alternate governments is to be stopped then it should be taken soon.
Citing show-cause notices issued more than four months ago to three loyalists of Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot for holding a meeting parallel to the Congress Legislature Party meeting, Pilot said that under the leadership of AK Antony, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and The AICC Disciplinary Committee can give the best answer. Why has there been “unprecedented delay” in taking a decision on the matter?
“The Legislature Party meeting was called by the Chief Minister (Ashok Gehlot) in Jaipur on September 25; That meeting didn’t happen. Central observers Ajay Maken and Kharge were there. Whatever happens in the meeting is a separate issue, agreement or disagreement, but the meeting was not allowed to happen.
The former deputy chief minister said those who were responsible for not holding that meeting and holding a parallel meeting were given “prima facie indiscipline” notices.
“I have been told through the media that he has replied to those notices. So far, no decision or action has been taken by AICC (all India Congress Committee). I think the disciplinary committee and leadership headed by Antony and the Congress President can give the best answer as to why there is so much delay in a decision.”
It may be mentioned that an affidavit was filed by the Speaker in the Rajasthan High Court stating that 81 resignations had been received out of some delivered to him personally.
He said that according to the affidavit filed by the Speaker in the High Court, out of the total resignations, some were photocopied and the rest were not accepted as they were not given “of their free will”.
He said that this is the reason why the Speaker rejected these resignations.
“Since the resignations were rejected because they were not given under free will. And if they were not given voluntarily then under whose pressure were they given? Was there any threat, allurement or pressure.. so maybe it is a matter of further investigation by the party.
He said, ‘We are moving towards elections very soon, the budget has also been presented and the party leadership has said many times that a decision will be taken on how to move forward. Whatever decision has to be taken regarding the Congress party in Rajasthan should be taken as we are looking at the elections towards the end of the year.
He underlined that this was important if the Congress has to break the cycle of alternating Congress and BJP governments in the state which has been happening for the last 25 years.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi He said that he himself is campaigning aggressively and Congress needs to hit the ground running and motivate workers so that “we are ready for war”.
Pilot said, “This CLP meeting was called under the instructions of the then Congress President Sonia Gandhi ji, so it was open defiance and not following the instructions of the party.”
“Discipline and party line is the same for everyone or it could be anyone… It does not matter whether you are big or small, discipline is paramount and that is what (AICC in-charge Rajasthan) Sukhjinder Randhawa was insisting on,” said the pilot.
“Those who opposed the party at that time in September, so many months have passed, Congress workers are asking this inordinate delay, what does it mean, the party should take a call and see Antony, Kharge and the party leadership In it,” he reiterated his stand.
That September, Maken had failed to convene a meeting of legislators to pass a one-line resolution authorizing the Congress president to appoint a new leader in Rajasthan.
Gehlot later publicly apologized for failing to pass the resolution and dropped out of the race for Congress president after meeting the then party chief Sonia Gandhi.
The party had issued show-cause notices to MLAs Dharmendra Rathore, Shanti Dhariwal and chief whip in the assembly Mahesh Joshi. The party has not taken any action on the notices, though the MLAs have responded to the allegations against them.
Maken later resigned in November and Randhawa was given the charge of Rajasthan.
In a letter to party president Kharge on 8 November, Maken cited the events of 25 September and asked the party chief to appoint someone in his place.
A major controversy erupted again in December after Gehlot remarked that Pilot was a ‘gaddar’ (traitor) and could not be replaced.
The remark drew a sharp reaction from Pilot, who said that using such language was not befitting of Gehlot’s stature and such “mud-slinging” would not help at a time when the focus is on the Kanyakumari-Kashmir Connect India Yatra. should be concentrated.
The Gehlot-Pilot rift widened the party just before the yatra entered the desert state, but KC Venugopal’s visit to the state calmed the anger and in a show of unity, both Pilot and Gehlot interacted with the cameras. posed for With AICC General Secretary.
In January, the Rajasthan Assembly Secretary told the High Court that 81 MLAs who had submitted resignation letters to Rajasthan Assembly Speaker CP Joshi during last September’s crisis had taken them back.
The Rajasthan High Court was informed in response to a writ petition that the resignations tendered to the Speaker on September 25 were not voluntary and have been withdrawn.
The power struggle between Gehlot and Pilot which had subsided briefly during the Bharat Jodo Yatra has resurfaced within days of the march crossing from the state, with the two leaders clashing again.
Pilot, who announced a series of public outreach programs in the state last month, was seen by many as a show of strength and a reminder to the high command that their complaints were unheard.
In his remarks at several rallies, Pilot had cornered the Gehlot government on issues like repeated paper leaks and political appointments of retired bureaucrats, bypassing party workers.
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(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed)