Targeting Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot for using words such as ‘gaddar’ (traitor) for senior state Congress leader Sachin Pilot, the party’s steering committee member Harish Choudhary on Friday urged that one must maintain “dignity” in political discourse.
His reaction came a day after Gehlot levelled explosive allegations about Pilot’s ‘2020 revolt’. “A ‘gaddar’ (traitor) cannot be the chief minister… The Congress high command cannot make Sachin Pilot the chief minister…a man who doesn’t have 10 MLAs.”
Pilot refuted the claims, and called them baseless allegations.
“No matter who the person is or at what post they are, there should be some dignity in words… I don’t have much experience, I am not a three-time CM, or a three-time union minister, or a three-time state party chief (a statement Gehlot repeatedly uses saying party has given him so much). I am 52 years old but haven’t used any wrong word in any circumstance. What will we, or the future generation learn?” Choudhary said.
“He is the guardian of 102 MLAs, and he (guardian) should not be given any advice, rather one should take from him…,” Choudhary, who is an MLA from Baytu (Barmer), added.
State minister for sainik welfare Rajendra Gudha, who belongs to the ‘Pilot camp’, said that 80% of the MLAs in the ruling government are with Pilot. “We will take back our claim if Sachin Pilot don’t have 80% MLAs.”
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“They may call him ‘nikamma, nakara, gaddar’. But there can be no better leader for the state than Pilot Sahab,” Gudha said.
The war of words comes amid the Congress’ push for re-election in next year’s state elections.
The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party has capitalised on this internal turmoil by taking potshots at the ruling party, saying that they may not have time to pay attention to the state affairs amid these rumblings.
