Page 26 - Ashok Gehlot

Congress Prez Kharge yet to decide on replacing Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh CMs

Mallikarjun Kharge in his first decision he had replaced the Congress Working Committee with a 47-member steering committee

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is a 'Shiv Bhakt': Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Saturday said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is a 'Shiv Bhakt'. Gehlot was in the Nathdwara town of Rajasthan's Rajsamand district for the unveiling of a 369-foot-tall statue of Lord Shiva, which is claimed to be the world's tallest. The "Viswas Swaroopam" statue was inaugurated by him along with preacher Morari Bapu and Rajasthan Assembly Speaker C P Joshi. "After 10 years, the magnificent statue got ready. I understand that Shiv Bhakts across the country will be very happy today," Gehlot told reporters. "Do you know that our Rahul Gandhi Ji is also a Shiv Bhakt. You can understand who can be the person who reveres Lord Shiva. I am happy that the statue got ready," he said. The statue, nearly 45 km from Udaipur city, has been constructed by Tat Padam Sansthan. A series of religious, spiritual and cultural events will be held for nine days from October 29 to November 6 after the inauguration of the statue. Murari Bapu will also recite Ram ..

CEC intentionally not announcing Gujarat poll dates, alleges Ashok Gehlot

Ashok Gehlot alleged that CEC is "intentionally" holding back the announcement of the Gujarat Assembly poll dates, so that PM Modi can address more meetings to woo electorate

95% donations through electoral bonds going to BJP, says Ashok Gehlot

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Saturday claimed that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is getting 95 per cent of the total donations made through electoral bonds as donors are not providing funds to other parties out of fear. Addressing a press conference here as part of the Congress's campaign for the upcoming Gujarat Assembly polls, the senior party leader accused the BJP of even "threatening" corporates, who wish to donate to Congress and other political parties. He also targeted the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and its chief Arvind Kejriwal, saying they spend money for suppressing any negative news against them. "If donation is given to other parties, the Enforcement Directorate and Income Tax Department will come knocking on the doors of the donors. In our democracy, even donations are going to one party only. They have amassed crores of rupees, which they use to build five-star party offices across the country," Gehlot alleged. "Following the introduction of electoral bonds

BJP faces 27 years of anti-incumbency, AAP non-existent in Gujarat: Gehlot

Exuding confidence about his party Congress winning the ensuing Assembly elections in Gujarat, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Friday said the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is facing its "highest-ever" anti-incumbency in the state. Gehlot, a senior Congress observer for Gujarat polls, did not see the possibility of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) creating any impact in elections, saying the Arvind Kejriwal-led outfit has just created a hype in the media and it was "non-existent" on the ground in Gujarat. "The BJP has been ruling Gujarat for the last 27 years and I can say that anti-incumbency against the BJP is the highest this time. While people are opposing BJP's ongoing Gaurav Yatras, they are welcoming the Congress in the state during poll campaigning. "We (Congress) will definitely form a government this time. It is necessary to end the BJP's misrule," said the Rajasthan Chief Minister. He was talking to media persons in Vadodara city after addressing a poll rally in

Gujarat polls: Kejriwal, Mann and Gehlot to begin their 3-day state visit

Aam Aadmi Party leaders Arvind Kejriwal and Bhagwant Mann, and Congress veteran Ashok Gehlot will embark on a three-day visit to the poll-bound Gujarat from Friday, during which they will address public rallies in different parts of the state for their respective parties. During their visit, Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal, who is also the AAP's national convener, and his Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Mann are scheduled to address six rallies. Rajasthan Chief Minister Gehlot will also hold six public rallies, party sources said. As per the details shared by the AAP, Kejriwal and Mann will address a public meeting at 12 noon in Morwa Hadaf Assembly seat in Panchmahal district. They will also speak at a rally at Kankerej Assembly seat in Patan district. On Saturday, they will address public rallies at Chikhli in Navsari district and Dediapada in Narmada district, while on Sunday, the duo will speak at public rallies in Gariadhar Assembly seat in Bhavnagar district and Dhoraji in Rajkot .

Sonia Gandhi stepping down as Cong prez 'emotional moment' for all: Gehlot

Terming Sonia Gandhi's guidance as invaluable for the Congress party, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Wednesday said the change of guard is an emotional moment for all partymen. "When Sonia Gandhi took over as Congress president in 1998, the party did not have a government at the Centre and it had many challenges in the states too. After she took over as party president, the Congress won in all states, including Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, Karnataka," he said in a tweet in Hindi. In 2004 and 2009, the UPA government was formed at the Centre by defeating the BJP, he said. Veteran leader Mallikarjun Kharge formally took over as Congress president on Wednesday and said the party will break the "system of lies and hatred" prevailing under the current government. Kharge, the first non-Gandhi to head the party in 24 years, had defeated Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor in a direct contest for the president's post in the grand old party after the Gandhis opted out of the

Gehlot govt sanctions Rs 13.10 crore for smart classes in 500 madrasas

The Ashok Gehlot government on Wednesday allotted Rs 13.10 crore to ensure that 500 madrasas of the state, approved by state Madarsa Board, have smart classrooms

'Only Rahul can challenge Modi..,' says Gehlot as Kharge takes charge

Rajasthan CM Gehlot said that efforts continued till last minute to make Rahul Gandhi as president of INC since he is the only one who can challenge Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP government

Don't go on strikes, tie black ribbon instead: Gehlot appeals to doctors

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Saturday appealed to the doctors to not go on strikes every time they have a demand and instead tie a black ribbon to express displeasure to avoid any inconvenience to the patients. He said there will be no shortage of funds for the medical sector as it is a top priority of the state government. "Health and medical sector is my top priority. There will be no shortage of funds, but one of my demands is that they (doctors) will not go on strike at least," he told the media after interacting with the doctors at the Government SMS Hospital here. "The only thing I have said to the doctor is that please make a promise to me that you will not go on strike. If you have displeasure, have demands from the government, then tie a black ribbon," Gehlot said. He said doctors are considered to be a form of God as they save lives. If there is a strike, the patient suffers and surgeries are postponed. The chief minister also appealed to the private hospital

HP CM Thakur should clarify why BJP is against old pension scheme: Gehlot

Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot Wednesday said his Himachal Pradesh counterpart Jai Ram Thakur should clarify "why the BJP is against old pension scheme" which gives social security to government employees. Gehlot said his government has restored the old pension scheme in the state from April 4, 2022. For this, necessary changes have been made in the pension rules, he said. "Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur has made an unfortunate statement that the old pension scheme has not been implemented in Rajasthan. "After the implementation of the old pension scheme in Rajasthan, pension cases of more than 100 personnel have been settled," he said in a statement. Thakur should remember that then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's NDA government had introduced the New Pension Scheme (NPS) replacing the old pension scheme for personnel appointed on and after January 1, 2004, "which created a feeling of insecurity among the employees and they started worrying about the .

Electoral Bond scheme 'biggest scam' of free India: Raj CM Ashok Gehlot

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Monday called electoral bonds the "biggest scam" in the history of independent India. His remark came days after the centre told the Supreme Court that the electoral bonds scheme was an absolutely transparent mode of political funding. Gehlot said that electoral bonds have been devised by the NDA government in such a way that not only it allows easy funnelling of money, but also ensures that no one can be blamed for it. He said that the Supreme Court should not delay judgement on the matter and should hold regular hearings. The CM also raised questions on the Election Commission of India's decision to hold Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat assembly elections on different dates, saying such a move was not possible without indication from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The NDA government has come up with such a method that no one can be blamed. In the Supreme Court they (GoI) say that they have done the right thing

As Cong prez poll nears climax, focus to shift on Gehlot-Pilot duel in Raj

After the fate of the electoral fight for the post of the next Congress president between Mallikarjun Kharge and Shashi Tharoor gets sealed on Monday, focus will shift to long-running rivalry between Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and his bete noire Sachin Pilot for who gets to call the shots in the largely desert state. Late last month, the matter had come to a head after 82 Congress MLAs in Rajasthan did not attend an official legislature party meeting convened for passing a resolution authorising the Congress chief to appoint a successor to Gehlot, who was then about to contest the Congress presidential election, and participated in a parallel meeting at Gehlot loyalist Shanti Dhariwal's residence in Jaipur. While Gehlot has long been known as a loyalist to the first family of the country's oldest party, his position as the Gandhis' confidant is said to have been dented with the developments last month. Pilot, who had rebelled against Gehlot's leadership in 2020, is seen a

BJP came to power by defaming UPA, polarising people, says Raj CM Gehlot

Chief Minister of Rajasthan Ashok Gehlot on Saturday charged the BJP with assuming power by defaming the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government at the Centre and polarising people. Gehlot warned people of communal politics and said the country cannot afford an atmosphere of tension, violence and communalism. People are aware of the tricks with which the BJP came to power by defaming the UPA government. Neither the Lokpal was implemented, nor the black money was brought. The BJP came to power by polarising people and defaming the UPA government, Gehlot said while addressing a public meeting here to appreciate Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra by walk. The Rajasthan Chief Minister said Rahul Gandhi is going to create a history in the country as his march focused on the challenges the country faces today. The challenges are from fascist and communal forces. We condemn the steps taken by them to destroy this country. Constitution is in tatters and the democr

Nation facing challenges from fascist forces, Gehlot slams RSS-BJP

The Congress party on Saturday slammed the BJP-led governments at the Centre and state and the ruling party's parent outfit the RSS and alleged that the nation is facing challenges from fascist forces. Addressing the Bharat Jodo Yatra here, Congress leader Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said the nation is facing challenges from "fascist" forces. Condemning what he called the "communal forces," Gehlot claimed that people are suffering due to unemployment and price rise. Former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah blamed the BJP and RSS for "disturbing peace" in the country by indulging in "communal" politics.

Reserved category certificate not mandatory for govt jobs in Rajasthan

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has approved a proposal allowing candidates from the reserved category to apply for government jobs even if they do not possess an OBC/MBC/EWS certificate. Those belonging to other backward class (OBC), most backward class (MBC) or economically weaker section (EWS) can apply for jobs by submitting an affidavit if they do not have a caste certificate due to any reason, an official statement said on Saturday. Many candidates of various recruitment examinations held this year will be benefited by this decision, it added. According to the circular issued on January 20, it was necessary for the reserved category candidates to have the certificate issued by the competent authority before the last date of filling the application. In compliance with this circular, doubts were arising as the vacancy announcement for Livestock Assistant Direct Recruitment Examination-2021, Junior Engineer Direct Recruitment Examination-2022 and Patwar Direct Recruitment

Rajasthan CM Gehlot approves Rs 35 crore for gyms, fitness centres in state

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has approved Rs 35 crore to set up state-of-the-art gyms and fitness centres at all divisional headquarter cities/towns, the state government said in a statement. Open gyms will also be set up at each district headquarter city, it said. As per the proposal, state-of-the-art gyms and fitness centres will be opened in the state's seven divisional headquarter cities -- Jaipur (Sawai Mansingh Stadium), Jodhpur (Barkatullah Khan Stadium), Ajmer, Bikaner, Udaipur, Bharatpur and Kota at a cost of Rs 32.50 crore. Additionally, open gyms will be set up at all district headquarter towns/cities at a cost of Rs 2.50 crore. Gehlot had announced the opening of gyms and fitness centres in all divisions and open gyms in district headquarter towns/cities in the budget for 2022-23. The decision was aimed to help local residents improve their health.

Raj asked to pay compensation to children orphaned by Covid within 2 wks

The Supreme Court on Friday directed the Rajasthan government to pay compensation to children orphaned by COVID-19 within two weeks. A bench of Justices M R Shah and Sudhanshu Dhulia also ordered the state government to furnish particulars to the state legal service authority with respect to rejected applications of payment of ex-gratia assistance within two weeks. It asked the Rajasthan State Legal Services Authority to look into these applications and take appropriate decisions within four weeks thereafter. "In so far as pending applications for compensation to orphans are concerned, we direct the state to make the payment to remaining applicants whose parents have died due to Covid within two weeks," the bench said. The Rajasthan government informed the top court that 191 children, who became orphans due to Covid, have been paid ex-gratia out of total number of 718. On the issue of suicidal deaths, the counsel for the state government also apprised the bench that at district le

Gehlot hopes for Mallikarjun Kharge's win in Congress presidential race

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has expressed hope that voters in the elections to the post of the Congress president will vote for senior leader Mallikarjun Kharge, who he said has a connect with party leaders and workers. The voting for the post of the Congress president is scheduled for October 17 and the counting will take place on October 19. Mallikarjun Kharge and Shashi Tharoor are contesting for the post. Kharge has a connection with party workers and leaders, and can hold dialogue with all opposition parties, which is needed today, Gehlot said in a video message on his Twitter account. "I hope all delegates will help Mallikarjun Kharge succeed with a huge majority," he said. Gehlot also added that the Congress will revive and emerge as a strong opposition party. He said Kharge is the party's experienced leader, who won nine assembly elections and two Lok Sabha polls, and was the Leader of Opposition in the Rajya sabha.

Interest-free loans for 100K rural families of Rajasthan for non-agri work

The state government has set aside Rs 2,000 crore for the Rajasthan Rural Family Livelihood Loan Scheme.