Jaipur: Congress leader and former Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot Monday placed three demands before his party’s government, warning that if these demands are not met by the end of this month, then he will agitate in the entire state.
At the public meeting held in Bhankrota here to mark conclusion of his Jan Sangharsh Yatra, Pilot said: “Till now we were speaking in a Gandhian way. There will be a big movement in villages and cities now and we will get justice done.”
Pilot’s three demands include that the Rajasthan Public Service Commission should be dissolved and a new organisation should be formed, unemployed should get compensation in lieu of paper leak and there should be a high-level inquiry into the corruption that happened during the previous Vasundhara Raje-led BJP government.
Targeting Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, Pilot said: “We are working for the organisation while being abused without holding any post and you are eating cream while sitting in power.”
“Let people hear that don’t limit me, I don’t belong to any religion or society. I am the son of 36 communities. I am the son of Rajasthan,” he added.
“Whether I remain in any position or not, we will continue to serve the people of Rajasthan. I am not afraid, I am not going to suppress. I have fought for you and will keep fighting.”
Pilot recalled that in 2013, the Congress was left with only 21 MLAs and then party chief Sonia Gandhi called him and said that the condition of the party in Rajasthan is very bad, “you go and become the President”.
“In these five years, we strongly opposed the Vasundhara government on the basis of its policies. There was open loot in Vasundhara’s rule,” he said.
Pilot said that the Chief Minister is also the Home Minister and the Finance Minister: “I said many times that what we have said should be investigated. I observed a day-fast for the investigation of the Vasundhara government. I thought we should go to the public. Corruption is eating society like termites. We will have to strike hard. We have to show the world that we do what we say.”
Pilot also questioned whose advice Babulal Katara made an RPSC member.
“The children who work hard for a year or two, spend lakhs of rupees, live in rented houses and then the paper gets leaked. You have to go to its root. If the law is doing its job, then there should be no discrimination. Any fish, no matter big or small, have to be caught,” he added.
“You have arrested Katara. On whose advice did Katara become a member of the RPSC, it has to be ascertained. The purpose of this visit was to investigate the corruption of the BJP government. The purpose of the yatra was to get action taken on the paper leak,” he said.
The rally was also addressed by state minister Rajendra Singh Guda who accused his own government of being indulged in corruption cases.
Minister Hemaram Chaudhary also spoke on the occasion and retaliated on the allegations of Gehlot accepting money from the BJP.
He said that he was hurt by the kind of allegations made by the Chief Minister. If the Chief Minister has found me guilty of taking money, then why did he make me a minister?
“Many Congress leaders obstructed this rally,” he said, adding “You (Gehlot) are accusing your own government.”
Addressing the meeting, former Speaker Dipendra Singh Shekhawat said that BJP-era Speaker Kailash Meghwal had once accused the Vasundhara Raje government of corruption worth Rs 5,000 crore. “There are allegations of corruption on the ministers of our government as well, all should be investigated.”
Chaksu MLA Ved Prakash Solanki said: “(Congress state in charge Sukhjinder Singh) Randhawa called me and after showing the survey, said that the BJP is speaking in Chaksu. I told them that BJP is speaking in my place, but just tell me where Congress is speaking?”
Mukesh Bhakar, MLA from Nagaur’s Ladnun, said: “Gehlot wants Pilot to leave the party. We will not go anywhere. We will stay here.”
Pilot started his Jan Sangharsh Yatra May 11 from the RPSC in Ajmer. The yatra, which reached Jaipur after covering a distance of 125 kilometers in five days, has once again raised the issue of paper leak and corruption reported under the tenure of former CM Vasundhara Raje.
Former Congress state President Narayan Singh has reached Pilot’s meeting. Overall, around 15 MLAs were present in his rally.
IANS
