New Delhi: Senior Congress leader Sachin Pilot has questioned the “timing, purpose, and intent” of the Enforcement Directorate’s actions Thursday, including summons against Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot’s son Vaibhav as well as a simultaneous raid on the properties of state party president Govind Singh Dotasra.
Speaking at the Congress headquarters in Delhi Thursday, Pilot said that the agencies of the Indian government were being “misused”, pointing to the fact that Rajasthan is due to go to polls next month. This timing, he noted, was “questionable”.
“Right before the election, these agencies have been unleashed in Rajasthan to scare and terrorise leaders of Congress party. The country is watching,” Pilot said.
While Vaibhav Gehlot was summoned by the ED in a case related to alleged Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) violations, Dotasra and independent MLA Om Prakash Hudla were subjected to raids linked to an alleged money laundering case. Hudla is the party’s candidate for the Mahuwa constituency in this election.
Pilot characterised these raids as “politically motivated” and stressed the Congress party’s stance against corruption.
“If there is an unbiased probe and anyone is found guilty, we are in favour of that probe,” he said.
However, he alleged, the BJP was going after Congress leaders because it feared losing in the assembly election.
“BJP is seeing its loss in the election. (Congress) leaders are specifically targeted without proof or substance. The Congress party president has been raided. There was no summon or evidence,” he said.
According to Pilot, the raids were a broader message from the BJP. “It is just to give a message that if we are weakened politically, we will misuse agencies of the Indian government—CBI, Income tax or ED and try to instil fear in people. The Congress party is against it,” he said.
He added: “There is no need for Congress workers to be scared. We will fight the election with full strength and win”
While Pilot is often viewed as a challenger to Ashok Gehlot’s position as chief minister, he expressed support for the latter’s son.
He pointed out that the summons to Vaibhav Gehlot concerned a 12-year-old case.
“Suddenly sending a summons after the polling date is announced… everyone can understand what’s the thought behind it,” he said. “For a 12-year-old case to be brought up at the eve of election is a very telling example as to how the government of India is operating.”
‘Actions from ED, justification from BJP’
Earlier in the day, senior Union minister and BJP leader from Rajasthan Gajendra Singh Shekhawat had attacked the Congress for “politicising” the ED’s action out of “frustration”
“Ashok Gehlot is frustrated with action against corruption because his government has broken all limits of corruption. His own party leaders, MLAs, advisor, and minister have said that this is the most corrupt government of the century,” Shekhawat said.
However, Sachin Pilot countered this by highlighting that while the ED was taking action, it was the BJP that was “justifying” it.
He added that using government agencies as “political weapons” was detrimental to democracy.
“Everyone knows what was the need of this investigation. Had they been winning the election, had they been headed towards a majority, then this kind of action might not have been taken,” Pilot said.
He claimed that the ED’s actions Thursday indicated that BJP is lagging in all five poll bound states and that the Congress is doing “exceedingly well”.
On Rajasthan CM post
The earlier feud between Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot is well-documented.
In 2020, Pilot staged a revolt against the Gehlot government in Rajasthan, leading to his removal from the position of Deputy CM.
However, the party’s higher leadership brokered a truce between the two leaders in the lead-up to the assembly elections.
Regarding the chief minister’s position after the election, Pilot proposed a unified approach.
“We should fight elections together and make sure that the Congress wins,” he said. “After Congress wins, our MLAs who win and our leadership will decide (the Chief Minister) and the decision will be acceptable to all.”
(Edited by Asavari Singh)
Also Read: ‘Spreading fear’: Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot hits out after central probe agency summons son