Rahul Gandhi accuses BJP of trying to topple Rajasthan govt, demands Assembly session

Amid the growing political turmoil in Rajasthan, former Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Friday accused BJP of hatching a conspiracy to topple the Ashok Gehlot-led government. Observing that the country runs on the basis of the Constitution and the rule of law, he added that governments are formed due to the people's mandate. According to Gandhi, BJP's conspiracy was an insult to Rajasthan's 8 crore people. Thereafter, he urged Rajasthan Governor Kalraj Mishra to summon the Assembly session so that the truth comes out in the public domain.

Read: Rajasthan Govt Crisis LIVE Update: Pilot Moves SC; Rahul Gandhi Demands Assembly Session

Gehlot issues warning to Governor

Earlier in the day, Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot accused Governor Kalraj Mishra of being under pressure from "powers above" to not call the special Assembly session. Mentioning that he had written to Mishra regarding this on Thursday itself, Gehlot lamented that the latter had not acted yet. He exuded confidence that Congress and its allies have a majority in the Assembly.  

Moreover, he alleged that a section of the legislators allegedly holed up in a resort in Haryana was anxious to return to the party fold. Additionally, the Rajasthan CM warned the Governor that his government would not be responsible if the people of the state gheraoed the Raj Bhavan on not receiving justice. Subsequently, Gehlot and the MLAs staged a dharna at the Raj Bhavan in Jaipur seeking to convince the Governor to give in to their demand of a special Assembly session. 

Read: Congress To Stage Sit-in Protest Against BJP In All Party Offices In Rajasthan On Saturday

Rajasthan HC order status quo

Meanwhile, a division bench of the Rajasthan HC comprising Chief Justice Indrajit Mahanty and Justice Prakash Gupta ordered a "status quo" on the Assembly Speaker's show-cause notices issued to sacked Deputy CM Sachin Pilot and 18 other Congress MLAs. Ruling that the writ petition is maintainable, it agreed to examine three prayers of the Pilot camp- to declare clause 2(1)(a) of the 10th schedule to be violative of the basic structure of the Constitution, to set aside the show cause notice issued by the Speaker and to declare clause 2(1)(a) of the 10th schedule read with Article 191 of the Constitution ultra virus.

However, the HC rejected the petitioners' plea to declare that their actions do not come under the purview of disqualification and to uphold their status as members of the Rajasthan Assembly. Essentially, the Speaker has been barred from taking any coercive action against the Pilot camp until the HC concludes hearing the matter. 

Read: Congress Draws Mahabharat Parallel To Rajasthan Crisis, Compares BJP With 'Kauravas'