Rajasthan: Pilot To Sit On Fast Today Against Gehlot Govt Over Corruption, Congress Calls It 'Anti-Party'

Rajasthan Congress Crisis: Accusing his party colleague and CM Ashok Gehlot of inaction against corruption, Congress leader Sachin Pilot has decided to sit on a fast in protest today in Jaipur.

Senior Congress leader Sachin Pilot on Monday accused the Ashok Gehlot government of failing to investigate alleged cases of corruption that occurred during BJP's rule in Rajasthan under Vasundhara Raje. Pilot called for action and said he would observe a day-long fast in protest on Tuesday. Sachin's move is believed to be an attempt to pressure the party's high command to resolve the leadership issue before the upcoming assembly polls. 

Here are the key points ahead of Pilot's fast on Tuesday:

• During a press conference on Monday, Pilot said that while in Opposition, the party promised an inquiry into the mines scam of Rs 45,000 crore. He revealed that he wrote to Gehlot last year on March 28 and again on November 2 on the issue, but did not receive any response. He believes that action must be taken soon so that Congress workers feel that there is no difference between their words and actions.
  
  


• Pilot also shared videos of Gehlot's address to the members of the Rajasthan assembly and outside the vidhan sabha, in which he raised the issue of corruption against the Vasundhara Raje government. 
  
  


• Pilot announced he will observe the day-long fast at Jaipur's Shaheed Smarak on Tuesday, April 11, which happens to be the birth anniversary of Mahatma Jyotiba Phule.
  
  


• Soon after Pilot's announcement, the Congress said that the Ashok Gehlot-led Rajasthan government has implemented schemes that have greatly benefited the people. The party said it will seek a renewed mandate on the strength of these "landmark achievements" and the collective efforts of the organisation.
  
  


• The Congress said that any protest against its current government would be considered anti-party activity and advised him to raise his concerns within party platforms instead of going public against his own government.

• No MLA or minister is expected to join Pilot during the fast, but thousands of his supporters from various parts of the state are likely to got to Shaheed Smarak for the protest.
  
  


• Sources close to Pilot confirmed that he would proceed with his fast to hold the previous Raje dispensation accountable for corruption, clarifying that his fight was against graft and not targeted at anyone in particular.
  
  


• All India Congress Committee in charge of Rajasthan Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa criticized Pilot's actions, saying that it was not appropriate to hold a press conference in such a manner. Randhawa said Pilot should have discussed the issue with him first. 
  
  


• Randhawa said he had more than 20 meetings with Pilot since taking over, but the former deputy chief minister did not raise the corruption issue with him. Randhawa will now have a discussion on the issue with both Gehlot and Pilot.
  
  


• Leader of Opposition BJP's Rajendra Rathore stated that Pilot should also demand an investigation into alleged corruption during the Congress government's tenure. Rathore added that Pilot's hunger strike against his own government showed the infighting between the chief minister and his former deputy has increased to such an extent that now Pilot has to sit on a hunger strike against his own party's government.
  
  


• Gehlot and Pilot have been at loggerheads over the post of chief minister ever since the Congress formed the government in Rajasthan in December 2018. In July 2020, Pilot and a section of party MLAs who supported him declared an open rebellion, demanding a change of leadership in Rajasthan. It led to a one-month-long political crisis that ended after assurance by the party high command to look into the issues raised by Pilot.