BJP leader Vasundhara Raje has countered Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot’s claim that she and other two BJP leaders helped him save his government in the state in 2020.
In 2020 Congress leader and then Rajasthan deputy CM Sachin Pilot had rebelled along with the party’s other 18 MLAs against Gehlot’s leadership. The month-long crisis ended after the intervention of senior Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. Later, Pilot was removed as the Deputy CM and state Congress president.
Former Rajasthan CM Raje, according to the report in NDTV termed Gehlot’s claim as "an insult" and "a conspiracy".
She also as per the report challenged Gehlot to file FIR if he had evidence that his MLAs had accepted bribe.
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Raje called out his allegations against Union home minister Amit Shah, the report said.
Gehlot, she added, has insulted her "like no one else in Rajasthan", it added.
The report said Gehlot's comments are seen as a double-edged sword that takes on Raje ahead of the elections due later in the state.
It also said Gehlot’s comments are directed at Sachin Pilot and his supporters, who can pose a challenge to his claim on the top job in Rajasthan case of a Congress victory.
Earlier, Gehlot had claimed his government could be saved through the support of Vasundhara Raje, former assembly speaker Kailash Meghwal and MLA Shobharani Kushwah.
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"(Union ministers) Amit Shah, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Dharmendra Pradhan conspired together to topple my government," Gehlot was quoted by PTI as having said.
"They distributed money in Rajasthan and they are not taking the money back now. I am surprised why they are not demanding the money back from them (the MLAs)," Gehlot had said.
He also took a dig at the rebel Congress MLAs, saying they should return the money, so they can carry out their duty without any pressure, it stated.
While Gehlot and Raje are seen as bitter political rivals, their detractors allege they always "go soft" on each other, especially when it comes to corruption allegations. Both leaders have denied the allegations.
