Rajasthan: Sachin Pilot sits on day-long fast demanding action against graft

New Delhi: Senior Congress leader Sachin Pilot held his day-long fast in Jaipur on Tuesday even after the high command termed it as an “anti-party activity”. Unfazed by the warning of AICC’s Rajasthan in-charge Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, who said late on Monday night that any such protest against the state government would amount to anti-party activity and go against the party’s interests, Pilot launched his fast on Tuesday morning.

Pilot offered floral tributes to social reformer Jyotirao Phule at his portrait and then launched his fast at 11 am. A banner put up at the venue read: “Vasundhara Sarkar Me Hue Bhrastachar ke Viruddh Anshan”. The song Vaishnav Jan To Tene Kahiye was being played in the background.

As the fast ended in the evening, Pilot said the Congress had assured people that its government will take effective action over corruption in the term of the previous BJP government. “I wanted the Congress government to take action against the corruption of the former government,” he told reporters. “This struggle against corruption will continue.”

Responding to Randhawa, Pilot, the former Rajasthan deputy chief minister, said: “Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa became in-charge a few days ago. I had also talked to the earlier in-charge but this corruption issue is still there. We should speak against corruption and our fight against corruption will continue.”

As Pilot was on dharna, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot released a video on his vision to make Rajasthan the country’s top state by 2030. “To realise this dream, I have brought schemes in the last four budgets and in this year's ‘Bachat, Rahat and Badhat’ Budget that no other state has," Gehlot said in Hindi.

Gehlot spoke about various schemes of his government, including the Chiranjeevi health insurance scheme, subsidised LPG cylinders and accident insurance of '10 lakhs, among others. The CM said Rajasthan’s progress was being hindered by the rising inflation, and the schemes of the state government are aimed at providing relief to the people.

The CM added that from April 24, thousands of inflation relief camps will be organised where people get the benefits of the state government schemes.

The tensions between Pilot and Gehlot are not being addressed by the present Congress high command. After the fiasco of the failed legislature party meeting in September last year, the high command has not intervened to set the party’s house in order in the state. The disciplinary committee is yet to take action against the three MLAs who raised the banner of rebellion.

Gehlot later used terms like “gaddar” (traitor), “nakara” (failure) and “nikamma” (worthless) for Pilot, and accused him of being involved with BJP leaders in a conspiracy to topple the Congress government. The infighting in the Rajasthan Congress is peaking as the Assembly elections are coming closer. As the high command is delaying bringing peace to the warring factions, one can expect more grandstanding in the days to come by both factions.