Jaipur, Sep 16 (PTI) Former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot slammed Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat again on Tuesday for the political crisis that rocked the Congress government in 2020.
Gehlot said the BJP leader “cannot be absolved of the sin of attempting to topple an elected government.” The remarks came following Shekhawat’s statement in Jodhpur that the court has accepted the closure reports of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) over the attempt to topple Rajasthan government in 2020.
“The truth can be harassed but not suppressed,” Shekhawat had remarked.
In an X post later, Gehlot said that Shekhawat, who had allegedly conspired to bring down the Congress government, was making “tall claims” after the ACB decided to file a final report in one case.
“If he is so honest, he should say why he has still not given his voice samples to aid investigation into the audio clips on horse-trading of legislators. Why does he repeatedly resist giving his voice samples in the Sanjay Jain case? If he is truly honest, let him give his voice sample once before the court and prove it,” Gehlot said.
He alleged that after the change of government in the state, probe agencies were being pressurised to distort facts and file final reports, leaving the courts with no option.
Recalling the events of July-August 2020, Gehlot wrote, “The claims of withdrawal of support by 30 MLAs; taking 20 MLAs to Manesar; meetings with Amit Shah, Dharmendra Pradhan and Zafar Islam; raids by Enforcement Directorate, Income-Tax Office and CBI on the Congress leaders; bribery of legislators; sudden cases against BSP MLAs who joined Congress – all these memories are still fresh in the minds of the people of Rajasthan. Even MP Hanuman Beniwal recently said that he was helping the BJP at the time in efforts to topple the government.” The former chief minister said that after the government was brought down in Madhya Pradesh, similar attempts were made in Rajasthan. “There is no doubt about it. With the blessings of the Congress leadership and the people, that attempt failed and our government lasted five years. Shekhawat and others were left frustrated,” he said. PTI AG RUK RUK
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