Jodhpur, Nov 7 (PTI) Congress leader Ashok Gehlot on Saturday took exception to Bhajan Lal Sharma calling him a “lootera” during his visit to the city, saying the chief minister’s unbecoming language hurt him.
Speaking to the media at Jodhpur airport on Saturday, the former chief minister said he has always believed in maintaining cordial relations between rival politicians.
Citing his past relations with former chief ministers Bhairon Singh Shekhawat and Vasundhara Raje, Gehlot said he learnt to respect constitutional and political offices and expected the same tradition to continue.
During a recent visit to Jodhpur, Sharma called Gehlot a “lootera” and accused his government of exploiting farmers by selling them adulterated seeds and fertilisers.
Gehlot has since challenged Sharma to substantiate the allegations with evidence or apologise.
The Congress leader said the chief minister might have spoken under someone’s influence or in an emotional outburst.
He said he could not understand how Sharma could make such claims about the quality of seeds and fertilisers sold at his shop, particularly when he, Gehlot, had started the business five years before Sharma was born.
“I was hurt because there was a sense of affection and trust. There is a difference between criticising someone politically and making personal allegations,” Gehlot said.
Gehlot also questioned the BJP’s ability to rally crowds in Jodhpur, claiming that the meeting attracted barely 400-500 people.
He said the chief minister with his remark might have taken out his frustration over the poor turnout, instead of taking it up with the party leadership.
Gehlot said that when he was a Union minister, there were rumours that he had a hotel venture with the Tata Group in Bengaluru, a granite factory, and a flat in Mumbai.
Such allegations never deterred him, he said.
He also dismissed rumours about his ownership of Jaipur’s Fairmont Hotel.
The former Rajasthan chief minister criticised the BJP’s statewide political marches under the slogans ‘Save Democracy’ and ‘Remove Anarchy’, arguing that such exercises were becoming a nuisance to traders and the general public.
The opposition has every right to question the government, but political differences should not lead to personal attacks, he added. PTI COR VN
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