E-Paper
‘People may gherao Raj Bhavan’: Gehlot accuses Governor of delaying House session
In a thinly-veiled warning, Gehlot said his government should not be held responsible, if the public gherao the Raj Bhavan tomorrow.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Friday accused Governor Kalraj Mishra of dithering on convening the assembly session, despite his repeated requests, and demanded that it be convened from Monday to discuss critical issues confronting the desert state, including the raging coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak and the ongoing political turmoil in the desert state over an internal rebellion in the Congress’s ranks.
In a thinly-veiled warning, Gehlot said his government should not be held responsible, if the public gherao the Raj Bhavan tomorrow.
The CM’s announcement came shortly after the Rajasthan high court (HC) ordered status quo to be maintained in the disqualification case against 19 rebel Congress lawmakers, including sacked deputy CM Sachin Pilot.
“We cannot understand the pressure under which the Governor is not calling the session ... If tomorrow, people of the state come to gherao the Raj Bhawan, we shouldn’t be held responsible,” the CM said.
He was expecting the order to convene the assembly session to be issued on Thursday evening, which hasn’t happened even 24 hours later.
Gehlot said all the legislators would meet Governor Mishra at Raj Bhawan, requesting him to make a decision to convene the assembly session from Monday.
“We want the assembly session to be convened from Monday, where things will be made clear,” the CM added.
Later, the lawmakers went to the Governor’s office and also sat in the garden of the Raj Bhawan while shouting slogans supporting CM Gehlot.
Satish Poonia, state president of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has reacted to Gehlot’s demand.
“Why is Gehlot so desperate for a session? His comment that people of Rajasthan would picket at the Raj Bhawan is in bad taste. He should have patience and be dignified in his use of the language. It appears that Gehlot is looking for a way to send out his opponents out of the party and the assembly.”
Gehlot has also alleged that “our colleagues (rebel MLAs) are held hostage” under BJP-ruled government in Haryana and claimed that they have been pleading for a rescue mission.
“The entire conspiracy has been hatched by the BJP leadership, as they did in Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh. However, they won’t succeed in Rajasthan, as all our MLAs and the public are with us,” Gehlot alleged.
The turnout at the successive Congress legislative party (CLP) meetings on July 13 and 14 indicated that the Gehlot government would be able to hold on to power, albeit with a wafer-thin majority.
In the CLP meeting that was held earlier this week, Gehlot had urged his lawmakers to stand firm like a rock as the country is watching them.
The Rajasthan CM has kept everybody guessing about the exact number of lawmakers, who are likely to be supporting him.
“You’ll get to know the exact number when we win the floor test by a thumping majority. This time, every MLA will hear the voice of his conscience and vote,” Gehlot had told HT on Monday.
