Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has launched the most aggressive attack on former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot and termed him a useless incompetent person who just made people fight with each other and has stabbed the party in the back. He said Pilot must be first-party president in history to conspire to topple the government of his own party.
In a vehement style which is rather uncharacteristic Gehlot said, “For seven years he (Pilot) was PCC chief and in the interest of the party, never once in those years was there any demand for him being changed. He has been saying that he did a lot to bring the party in power. The public knows how much he contributed. We never questioned his contribution. We were seeing what he is doing. Nikamma hai, nakara hai, koi kaam nahin kar raha hai, khali logon ko ladva raha hai. (He is useless, incompetent; he is not doing any work, just making people fight with each other.)
Referring to Pilot’s statements and behaviour with party workers Gehlot said, “I have not come here to sell brinjal, have not come to sell vegetables, I have come here be chief minister. Decide whom you are with. You were standing outside Ashok Gehlot’s house yesterday, you were outside C P Joshi’s room at AICC, how can I trust you. This is the kind of language he used for seven years. But due to the culture of Rajasthan no one raised demand to remove him.”
This statement attributed to Pilot clearly indicates reference to Gehlot’s community. The CM belongs to the Mali community that falls under OBC category and is quite small in number; though spread across the state. The community is traditionally cultivators of vegetables and flowers.
The chief minister went on to say, “In a short span of 10-12 years he achieved everything. This is very rate. But after that the game he played is unfortunate. This is the first time in history that a party president is involved in the felling of the government of his own party. He had the trust of Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi. Pilot has stabbed the party in the back.”
“Whenever I said earlier that a conspiracy is being hatched to topple the government no one believed. He (Pilot) has an innocent face, good command over English and Hindi, the national media is impressed by him. What has happened now was scheduled to happen on March 10 when the Rajya Sabha elections were supposed to take place. He wanted to form a third front and when our MLAS said that they will not join a third front this happened.”
Reacting to reports about state BJP president Satish Poonia and deputy leader of opposition making a discreet trip to Manesar Gehlot said, “Sachin Pilot also would go to Delhi driving his own vehicle. He would leaving his driver and security behind. People who do things on the sly have something to hide.” This statement is a reference to Gehlot’s trips to meet BJP leaders in Delhi.
Satyamev Jayte said Gehlot repeatedly as he ended his interaction with media.
