The Rajasthan chief minister and senior Congress leader Ashok Gehlot tore into former Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia for joining BJP after leaving the party following an 18-year-long association with it.
The Congress senior leader took to Twitter to call Scindia an “opportunist”, saying: “People will teach him a lesson”.
“What has happened in Madhya Pradesh, it is murder of democracy. Entire nation is watching, how shamelessly horse trading is being done. In which direction they are taking the nation? They will definitely be taught a lesson by the people when the time comes”, he tweeted.
Ashok Gehlot said in several tweets, “attempts are being made to threaten, intimidate and worst kind of tactics are being used. Such brazen abuse of power has never been seen. Entire Congress party is united and we will together teach them a lesson. Their attempts to destabilize elected govts are because of their money power and horse-trading. They are not talking about any ideology. They want to grab power on basis of huge amount of money they have hoarded. The biggest scam that is happening in country, is of electoral bonds. They have amassed huge amounts of money, people are being looted by creating fear of CBI, ED, IT inquiries. Corruption is at its peak. On this money power, they are plotting to destabilise democratically elected govts. They are giving threats now but public is not going to be intimidated by their threats. People will never bow down due to these threats, nor are we going to bow down. I am very much hopeful that they will be taught a lesson. The sooner opportunists leave, the better. Congress party gave so much, held various posts for 17-18 years, was made an MP, a Union Minister. Despite all this, what came out was just an opportunist, public would never forgive”.
“Such opportunists should have left the party much earlier. Congress party gave him so much for 18 years. People will teach him a lesson,” Gehlot told media at Jaipur Airport. Reacting to the Madhya Pradesh crisis, he said: “Mauka aane pe maukaparasti dikhai hai”.
Speaking at Jaipur, the Rajasthan CM furthered: “Everyone can see how democracy is being murdered. MLAs are coming to Jaipur, you can see what kind of horse-trading attempts are being made there (in MP). Aisa nanga naach kabhi nahi dekha gaya hai, jo satta mein baithe huye log kar rahe hain. We stand together”, said Ashok Gehlot.
Rajasthan CM: Everyone can see how democracy is being murdered. MLAs are coming to Jaipur, you can see what kind of horse-trading attempts are being made there (in MP). Aisa nanga naach kabhi nahi dekha gaya hai, jo satta mein baithe huye log kar rahe hain. We stand together. https://t.co/QzAAmXL4vF
— ANI (@ANI) March 11, 2020
Once seen as one of Rahul Gandhi’s closest aides, Jyotiraditya Scindia ditched the Congress party, leaving its government in Madhya Pradesh in chaos on Tuesday afternoon. His resignation, along with that of 21 MLAs, has left the Kamal Nath government in the state on the brink of collapse. It is currently five MLAs short of the new majority mark of 104. Scindia joined BJP today and he has nominated by BJP for upcoming Rajya Sabha elections.
Probably distressed over his party’s fate in Madhya Pradesh and scared of facing a similar fate in his state, Ashok Gehlot had taken to Twitter yesterday also to strongly denunciate Jyotiraditya Scindia, saying he betrayed the “trust of the people and the ideology” and dubbed him as a leader with “self-indulgent political ambitions”.
Gehlot said, “Joining hands with BJP in a time of national crisis speaks volumes about a leaders self-indulgent political ambitions. Especially when the BJP ruining the economy, democratic institutions, social fabric and as well the Judiciary.”
The tremor of Jyotiraditya Scindia’s revolt in Madhya Pradesh is now being felt in Rajasthan as well. All eyes are now on Sachin Pilot, a close friend of Scindia, amid speculation that he could take the same route.
Rajasthan chief minister, who has not been sharing a cordial relationship with his deputy CM Sachin Pilot is now probably having cold feet after Jyotiraditya Scindia quitted Congress on Tuesday, leaving the party in Madhya Pradesh in a lurk.
Gehlot has been in a continuous tussle with state party president Sachin Pilot who was sidelined in the race for the Chief Minister’s post following the Congress’s win in the State Assembly elections.
Sachin Pilot’s camp had insisted that it was his hard work as state party chief that enabled the Congress to return to power in Rajasthan but the Chief Ministerial crown was handed over to veteran leader Gehlot. Ever since, Pilot has remained a constant challenge for Gehlot, often criticizing his own government in the past 15 months.
Last year, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot blamed Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot for the defeat of his son Vaibhav from Jodhpur constituency. Following this development, Congress MLA Prithviraj Meena had suggested that Pilot should replace Gehlot.
