Decision will be taken in party's interest: Cong Prez on Gehlot, Pilot

In view of the political tussle in Rajasthan, Congress High Command summoned Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and his deputy Sachin Pilot for separate meetings with party president Mallikarjuna Kharge in the national capital on Monday.

Sachin Pilot and Ashok Gehlot have been engaged in a power tussle since 2020.

Meanwhile, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and other leaders arrived at Congress headquarters for a meeting with Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot.

Speaking on meeting with Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said, "They are coming. We will discuss and decide whatever is in the interest of the party."

The delegation led by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge will meet President Droupdai Murmu on May 30, to discuss the situation in the state.

Earlier on May 15, Former Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister and Congress leader Sachin Pilot gave an ultimatum to his own party's government in Rajasthan to probe the alleged paper leak scam that happened during the previous Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) rule in the State.

He warned the Gehlot government that if his demands were not met by this month, he would agitate across the state.

Pilot's 5-day Jan Sangharsh Yatra' to protest against the inaction of the Rajasthan government in the alleged corruption cases during the previous Vasundhara Raje-led BJP government in the State.

Pilot warned the state government of his own party to start agitation in the entire state from next month if the three demands raised by him are not fulfilled by this month.

Along with disbanding and reorganizing the Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC), which came into the limelight in the paper leak case, Pilot demanded financial compensation to the affected candidates and a high-level inquiry into the alleged scam of the Vasundhara government.

The Congress leader said that there was loot along with corruption during the five years rule of the previous Vasundhara government. "Then Ashok Gehlot saheb also levelled allegations while being in the opposition. Today four and a half years have been completed but the promises made have not been fulfilled and action has not been taken on the allegations," Pilot said adding that he wrote several letters to Chief Minister Gehlot.

"I went on a fast in Jaipur, but when nothing happened from that, I felt that now I will have to go among the public and I took out the Jan Sangharsh Yatra," he said.

Sachin Pilot said that whether the "fish is small or big", it has to be caught. He said that when he raised the matter of the paper leak, the response from the government came without any investigation that no officer was involved.

"I want to promise that I will serve people and serve Rajasthan till my last breath. I am neither going to suppress nor retreat, I will make sacrifices whatever I have to make because people are my strength," the Congress leader said.

Assembly polls are scheduled to be held in Rajasthan later this year and the Congress party is seeking another term ahead of the crucial Lok Sabha polls in 2024.