A gaddar (traitor) cannot be Chief Minister: Ashok Gehlot launches attack against Sachin Pilot

Month after the political crisis in Rajasthan, Chief Minister and Congress leader Ashok Gehlot launched attack on his arch rival Sachin Pilot and said that he cannot be made CM of the state. 

Speaking to NDTV, Gehlot also claimed that during the first revolt by Sachin Pilot, the former deputy CM was pulling the government down and Amit Shah and Dharmendra Pradhan were also involved in it. "All had a meeting in Delhi," Gehlot stated. 

He also said that the the MLAs cannot accept him. "A man who doesn't have 10 MLAs. Who revolted. Who has been called traitor. He betrayed the party, is a traitor. How can people accept him?" Gehlot said while answering a question on Pilot becoming the CM of the state. 

"A gaddar (traitor) cannot be Chief Minister," he added. 

He also referred to Pilot as Gaddar (traitor) several times in the interview.

BJP's role in 2020's political crisis 

On many occasions before, Gehlot has alleged the role of BJP in the crisis that happened in 2020. At an event in Jaipur, after the settlement of the crisis, he had had alleged that BJP leader and Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat was also behind the attempt to topple the Congress government.

"It was a matter of touch-and-go," he had said, in an obvious reference to the existential threat his government faced in 2020 due to a rebellion led by his then deputy Sachin Pilot.

"I don't know how my government survived. I would not have been standing before you today. You would have met some other chief minister today. It was a matter of touch-and-go," he had said.

Rajatshan Political Crisis

The political crisis for the post of Chief Minister in Rajsthan saw fierce battle between the incumbent CM Ashok Gehlot and his arch-rival Sachin Pilot. 

Several MLAs loyal to Gehlot, who was seen as the frontrunner for the post of Congress national president, had last month submitted their resignation letters over a possible move to appoint Pilot as the next Rajasthan CM. However, Gehlot later pulled back his candidature for the Congress presidential polls as he took moral responsibility for the political crisis in the state. 

Even in 2020, the Gehlot government faced threat due to a rebellion led by his then deputy Sachin Pilot.

Published on: Thursday, November 24, 2022, 05:22 PM IST