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PM brings up ‘red diary’; Gehlot says it does not exist
Prime Minister Narendra Modi hits out at the Rajashtan government by referring to recently sacked minister Rajendra Gudha’s claim of a “red diary.” While, chief minister Ashok Gehlot denies all the allegations
Jaipur: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday hit out at the Rajasthan government and referred to recently sacked minister Rajendra Gudha’s claim of a “red diary”, alleging that the “dark deeds” recorded in the document will cause the Congress’s defeat in the year-end assembly elections.
Addressing a public rally in Sikar, the PM said the “red diary” was a fresh product of the Congress’s “loot ki dukan” and said the Congress will be defeated in the upcoming assembly elections.
“In the name of running the government in Rajasthan, Congress has set up a ‘loot ki dukan’ in a ‘jhooth ka bazar’ (market of lies). The latest product of this ‘loot ki dukan’ is Rajasthan’s red diary,” Modi said.
He was referring to a controversy around the sacking of Gudha, who was removed last week for his comments comparing the brutal sexual assault of two women in Manipur to crimes against women in Rajasthan. On Monday, Gudha was suspended from the House after he claimed to be in the possession of a red diary that held details of allegedly irregular transactions in the Ashok Gehlot-led government.
Gudha has alleged that the diary contained details of the money paid to Congress lawmakers during the 2020 rebellion led by then deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot.
On the allegations of Gudha, PHED minister Mahesh Joshi had stated, “All the allegations are baseless. Everyone should follow the conduct of the house, whatever happened today is unfortunate.”
Later in the day, Gehlot hit back at Modi over the red dairy controversy, saying there was no such document. ”The BJP is making baseless allegations in panic. There is no red diary. Rajendra Gudha has been made a scapegoat by the BJP,” he said, while responding to the PM’s charge later in the day. The CM was speaking at a public function to provide subsidies to 3.6 million beneficiaries to buy a cooking gas cylinder for ₹500.
In his seventh visit to Rajasthan this year, Modi said the people were saying that if the pages of the red diary were opened, then several big leaders of the Congress will be in the dock. “These people might remain tight-lipped, but this red diary will lead to the Congress’s defeat,” he added.
Hitting back, Gehlot said the real loot was done by the PM by selling a “red cylinder” (LPG cylinder) for ₹1,150. He said the people of Rajasthan will show a red flag to the BJP.
