Rajasthan governor hits back at Gehlot, asks why trust vote needed when he claims majority

Rajasthan Governor Kalraj Mishra has responded to Congress’ demand for an assembly session, saying they have not explained the rationale properly.

File photo of Rajasthan Governor Kalraj Mishra with CM Ashok Gehlot (right) | ANI

New Delhi: Rajasthan Governor Kalraj Mishra Friday defended himself against Congress allegations that he was disregarding their demand for an assembly session on account of “pressure from the top”.

Pointing out that no one is above constitutional decorum, the governor said in a statement issued in the evening that the Ashok Gehlot government had sent their letter to convene the session on “a very short notice”.  

The Gehlot government, he added, submitted a letter to him Thursday evening. Gehlot has said in public statements that the party wants to convene the session from Monday, but the governor said his letter contained no date. 

Mishra also questioned the logic behind “convening the session for a trust vote when it has been said that the government has a majority”. 

“It has also been said that the state government has a majority, then what is the justification for convening the session to get the confidence vote,” said Governor Kalraj Mishra. 

While the Congress and Gehlot, struck by a rebellion by 19 MLAs led by former deputy CM Sachin Pilot, have been repeatedly calling for an assembly session, emphasising their majority in the 200-member House, the chief minister, in his public statements at least, hasn’t mentioned a trust vote.

Among other things, Mishra said the letter submitted by the state government lacked certain details, following which they consulted legal experts too. It is a cabinet note but no approval has been given by the cabinet, he added.

“Neither justification nor any agenda has been proposed to call the session on such a short notice. In the normal process, 21 days notice is required for the session to be called,” the statement said. 

According to the statement, a letter was subsequently sent by the Raj Bhavan to the Parliamentary Affairs Department of the state government to clarify the points raised by the governor. 

The Rajasthan government has also been instructed to ensure that the independence and independent movement of all the MLAs should be ensured. The Gehlot government has taken note of the changes sought and will submit a revised plea to the governor.

Congress takes note of points raised

Earlier in the day, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot had criticised Governor Kalraj Mishra for not giving him permission to convene an assembly session to discuss coronavirus and issues related to the state’s political situation and economy, saying he is acting “under pressure from the top”. 

If permission is not granted and people of Rajasthan consequently lay siege to the governor’s house in large numbers, he said, “I should not be held responsible”. 

Later, Gehlot and Congress MLAs went to meet the governor and staged a dharna. After a subsequent meeting with the governor, they decided to call a cabinet meeting and send a fresh proposal for the assembly session, incorporating the changes sought by Mishra. 

The governor also noted that “the case of disqualification of some MLAs is also under consideration” in the Rajasthan High Court and the Supreme Court.

“Instructions have also been given to the state government to take this into cognisance. In addition, given the fact that corona has been spreading in Rajasthan a detailed explanation has also been sought on how to convene the assembly session keeping this in mind. The government has been asked to respond on this too,” he added.