The former Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister, Sachin Pilot, allegedly had his movements and phone activities closely monitored by the Ashok Gehlot government in anticipation of the rebellion he staged in 2020, claimed an aide of Gehlot. The Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to outgoing Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, Lokesh Sharma, asserted on Tuesday that the state government was aware of the possibility of a rebellion, prompting the surveillance of Pilot's actions and communications.
In July 2020, Sachin Pilot, then serving as the Deputy Chief Minister, openly led a rebellion alongside a faction of Congress MLAs against Gehlot, advocating for a change in leadership within the state. This tumultuous event precipitated a month-long political crisis in Rajasthan, culminating in Pilot's removal from the position of Deputy CM.
Lokesh Sharma, in an interview with ANI, disclosed, "When the political crisis of 2020 happened and Pilot left with his 18 MLAs, then in such a situation, the government does put its machinery to use and everyone is monitored -- where do these people go, who do they meet and who do they speak with. So that is done and in that manner, their monitoring was also done."
Speaking to PTI, Sharma further elaborated that the monitoring had commenced even before the rebellion, citing a pre-existing notion that such an eventuality could transpire. He clarified, "I said monitoring was being done continuously which includes all these things -- movement, who are they speaking with, those things were being tracked and monitored." According to Sharma, this monitoring facilitated the retrieval of certain individuals.
Lokesh Sharma, who has been critical of Ashok Gehlot for the Congress's electoral defeat in the recent Assembly elections, emphasized that these allegations were not fueled by personal grievances resulting from the denial of a party ticket.
Addressing the differences between Gehlot and Pilot, Sharma contended that the incidents in September 2022, where MLAs loyal to Gehlot prevented a legislature party meeting, had adverse effects on the Congress's fortunes. He asserted that proper handling of the situation during that time could have altered the political landscape in Rajasthan.
Sharma asserted that the primary reason for the Congress's defeat was inadequate management of ticket distribution, claiming that reports, including those from the All India Congress Committee (AICC) survey, recommended reducing tickets for sitting MLAs. However, he alleged that Gehlot's inflexibility impeded appropriate action based on these reports.
In response to Sharma's allegations, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi questioned his intentions, suggesting that he may not be a well-wisher considering his prior association with Ashok Gehlot. She urged the Congress party to introspect and address the longstanding disputes between senior leaders. On the other hand, BJP leader Diya Kumari deemed the allegations against the Gehlot government significant and called for an investigation into the alleged illegal activities.
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