The government must act on the charges against Vasundhara Raje, said Sachin Pilot. (File)
Jaipur:
The rancour between the Congress’s two top leaders in Rajasthan has deepened significantly with Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot appearing to refer to Sachin Pilot as the coronavirus in his latest swipe.
Sachin Pilot, in response, said at a rally: “It is important to maintain restraint in politics. If you give respect, you will get it.
In a viral video that emerged yesterday, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said: “I have resumed meetings…earlier there was corona …a big corona also entered our party.”
Though the Chief Minister didn’t take names, it was evident that he was targeting his former deputy, whom he has previously called “gaddar (traitor)” and “nikamma (worthless)”.
It was in 2020, the year Covid erupted worldwide, when Sachin Pilot launched his revolt against the Chief Minister.
Sachin Pilot did not name Mr Gehlot either when he retaliated at a rally.
“One should control one’s tongue. It is easy to hurl gaali-galauj (abuse), but it is hard to take back words once spoken. I have never made personal attacks. If you give respect, you will get it,” Mr Pilot said.
“I don’t comment on people in a disrespectful way, so I don’t know why they comment on me.”
Earlier today, Mr Pilot once again seemed to aim at his own party’s government for not acting on corruption allegations against the BJP’s Vasundhara Raje.
The daily sparring suggests that the Congress is in a mess ahead of polls in one of the few states it rules, despite its show of unity during Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra in Rajasthan.
Making it clear that a patch-up is nowhere in sight, Mr Pilot launched a solo campaign for the Rajasthan polls, saying he wanted to build on the goodwill generated by Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra. So far, the campaign has only highlighted the feud – not the best look for a party about to seek re-election.
Mr Pilot’s campaign comes nearly two months after Mr Gehlot, in an interview to NDTV, called his former deputy a “gaddar (traitor)” and said he would not be chief minister.
“A gaddar (traitor) cannot be Chief Minister. The High Command cannot make Sachin Pilot the Chief Minister… a man who doesn’t have 10 MLAs. Who revolted. He betrayed the party, (he) is a traitor,” Mr Gehlot had said.
The Gehlot-Pilot feud first surfaced when both competed for the Chief Minister’s job after the Congress’s Rajasthan victory in 2018. Though Mr Pilot agreed to play second fiddle to the veteran, he revolted two years later, demanding a better share in power.
But the rebellion fizzled out as 100-plus MLAs chose to stay with Mr Gehlot. At no point has Mr Pilot been able to produce more than 20 MLAs on his side, making it tougher for the party to attempt a detente.
In September, when Mr Gehlot was considered by the Congress for the party president’s post, nearly 100 MLAs loyal to him revolted over reports that Mr Pilot would replace him as Rajasthan Chief Minister.
Mr Gehlot stayed in Rajasthan and the Congress opted for Mallikarjun Kharge as Sonia Gandhi’s successor.
