Published 17:48 IST, July 26th 2020
Sachin Pilot & 18 other MLAs at Haryana hotel, claims Congress' PL Punia; alleges BJP role
Congress leader PL Punia alleged that former Rajasthan Deputy CM Sachin Pilot and 18 MLAs from his camp are staying in a Haryana hotel under BJP's supervision
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On Sunday, senior Congress leader PL Punia alleged that former Rajasthan Deputy CM Sachin Pilot and 18 MLAs from his camp are staying in a Haryana hotel under BJP's "supervision". He maintained that BJP was conspiring to topple the Ashok Gehlot-led government. According to Punia, the MLAs were not being permitted to meet outsiders. However, Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij has denied the role of the Manohar Lal Khattar-led government in Rajasthan's political crisis and refuted allegations of Congress legislators being held hostage in the state.
Congress leader PL Punia opined, "One thing is clear that it is the BJP's conspiracy to topple Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot-led Rajasthan government. Sachin Pilot and his MLAs in his camp are staying in a Haryana hotel. They are not being allowed to meet outsiders. They are staying under the BJP's supervision."
'Camping in Delhi'
Incidentally, on Friday, Murari Lal Meena- one of the 18 Congress MLAs with Sachin Pilot had dismissed the allegation of being in touch with BJP. While clarifying that they had not left Congress, he admitted having grievances with Gehlot's style of functioning in the last one and a half years. Moreover, Meena revealed that he along with 18 legislators were staying in Delhi to apprise the Congress high command of their grievances.
"CM Ashok Gehlot is a very experienced leader. But we are saddened by the allegations he is levelling at us. We have neither left Congress nor we have contacted BJP. We were unhappy by his style of functioning in the last one and a half years. We are camping in Delhi since a long time to express our grievances with the Congress high command. While he alleged that BJP has kept us hostage, I assert that we have not contacted BJP," Congress MLA Murari Lal Meena opined.
Cracks within Rajasthan Congress widen
Pilot’s departure to Delhi with some of his supporting legislators on July 11 set off alarm bells in the Congress camp. The rift between CM Ashok Gehlot and him widened after the legislators belonging to his camp skipped two Legislative Party meetings. Despite Pilot's insistence that he will not join BJP, the Congress party sacked him as the Deputy CM and the PCC chief. On July 24, 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 notices issued to sacked Deputy CM Sachin Pilot and 18 other Congress MLAs. This implies that the Speaker cannot take any coercive action against the Pilot camp until the HC concludes hearing the matter.
(With ANI inputs)
17:48 IST, July 26th 2020