Jaipur: Senior Congress leader Randeep Surjewala asked Wednesday dissident leader Sachin Pilot to stop accepting a BJP government’s ‘hospitality’ if he does not wish to join that party and ‘return home’ here to discuss grievances. The reference was to reports that the MLAs close to the rebel leaders are holed up in hotels in Gurgaon where the BJP is in power. Randeep Surjewala also repeated the party’s appeal to Pilot, asking him to ‘come back to the family’.
“I have seen Pilot’s statement in the media that he will not join the BJP. If you do not want to go to the BJP, stop accepting the hospitality of the BJP immediately,” Surjewala told reporters outside hotel here where party MLAs backing Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot are lodged since Monday.
Surjewala told reporters that Pilot should free the Congress MLAs who are staying in two luxury hotels and under the security of the Haryana police.
Surjewala said the party leadership spoke to Pilot several times but he and the other Congress MLAs did not come to attend the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meetings.
“Our young colleague Sachin Pilot was requested several times by the party leadership with an open heart to come and speak on the party forum if he has differences with the chief minister or any other leader,” the Congress chief spokesperson said.
“I would also suggest other Congress MLAs that they should not avoid returning. Come, sit and talk in the family. This will be the proof of your true allegiance and commitment to the party,” Surjewala added.
Also read: Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot accuses Sachin Pilot of involvement in horse trading with BJP
Surjewala said the Congress gave Pilot many posts at a young age, which probably no other leader in any party got, be it the Congress or the BJP. The Congress had to announce action against him with a heavy heart, he said.
Pilot was sacked Tuesday as Rajasthan’s deputy chief minister and the president of the state unit of the party after he did not attend the CLP meetings.
Two other ministers – Vishvendra Singh and Ramesh Meena – were also removed from the Rajasthan Cabinet. They are accused of involvement in the BJP’s ‘conspiracy’ to topple the Ashok Gehlot-led Rajasthan government.
