PIL claims govt money misused on Raje's yatra, HC asks BJP to respond

The Rajasthan High Court has asked the BJP's state unit to respond to a petition alleging that the state government machinery was being misused for Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje's gaurav yatra.

Raje began last week a 58-day outreach programme across the state, where assembly polls will be held this year-end.

A division bench headed by the Rajasthan Chief Justice today sent a notice to Rajasthan BJP chief Madanlal Saini to respond by August 16, when the next hearing will take place.

Advocate Vibhuti Bhushan Sharma has alleged in the PIL that the BJP government in the state has issued orders to the public works department to make necessary arrangements during the yatra.

The petition has argued that the BJP cannot run its political campaign on funds from the state exchequer.

It has asked the court to quash the orders allegedly given by the Raje government to the PWD, and recover the money already spent from the government funds for the yatra.

The state unit of the Congress had earlier made the same charge about Raje's yatra.

The Rajasthan Gaurav Yatra, is set to cover 165 assembly constituencies, with Raje addressing several rallies along the 6,000-km route.

It was flagged off by BJP president Amit Shah from Rajsamand and end in Pushkar.