Jodhpur:

The BJP on Sunday attacked former chief minister Ashok Gehlot after an audio clip of a conversation purportedly between him and his ex-OSD surfaced online, with Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat accusing Mr Gehlot of resorting to illegal phone tapping to save his government.

Mr Gehlot’s then officer on special duty (OSD) Lokesh Sharma had played the call recording between him and Mr Gehlot at a presser in April, claiming that the clips of alleged telephone conversation between Mr Shekhawat and some Congress leaders on “toppling” the state’s Congress government in 2020 was given to him in a pen drive by the former CM.

Sharma is an accused in a case related to the illegal phone tapping registered by Mr Shekhawat in Delhi.

The call recording purportedly between Mr Gehlot and Sharma recently surfaced on social media.

Reacting to this, Mr Shekhawat said, “The former chief minister had resorted to phone tapping in order to save his government. He recorded the phone conversation and saved it in a pen drive to make it public.” He said that this entire conversation is now in public domain and people know everything.

State Education Minister Madan Dilawar also launched a scathing attack on Mr Gehlot over the issue.

“Now it has become clear to everyone how Ashok Gehlot used to conspire. The revelations about phone tapping are gradually coming to light. As a result, Gehlot is scared of the ruling party. This is why he is not attending the assembly,” said Mr Dilawar.

Mr Dilawar was on a day’s visit to Jodhpur as the minister in-charge of the district and held a meeting with the officials with regard to implementation of budget announcements.

He said that phone tapping is a crime. But when Ashok Gehlot was the chief minister, he tapped the phone of former deputy CM Sachin Pilot, the state minister added.

“Now his (Gehlot’s) own people are exposing it. The people of Rajasthan now understand to what extent Gehlot has betrayed them,” he said.

After the Lok Sabha elections in Rajasthan were over in two phases in April this year, Lokesh Sharma had held a press conference in Jaipur to claim that Gehlot had given him some call recordings in a pen drive to circulate to the media.

The audio clips were allegedly related to the political crisis that erupted after Mr Pilot along with 18 other MLAs had revolted against Mr Gehlot’s leadership.

In 2020, three call recordings were circulated by Sharma to the media. It was alleged that clips contained telephonic conversations between Shekhawat and Congress leaders to topple the Gehlot government. Sharma at that time had claimed that he got the clips through social media.

Mr Shekhawat had registered a case in Delhi against Sharma in March 2021 on charges of criminal conspiracy, criminal breach of trust and unlawfully intercepting telephonic conversations.

Sharma approached the Delhi High Court to quash the FIR. In June 2021, the high court granted an interim stay on coercive action against Sharma. Sharma said in April that he would give the evidence (to prove that call recordings were given to him by Gehlot) to the investigating agency.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot’s former aide Lokesh Sharma has once again hit out at him over allegations of phone tapping in the previous government and the REET exam paper leak issue.

Timed just a day ahead of the second phase of the Lok Sabha election, Loksh Sharma claimed Mr Gehlot had handed him a pen drive with some audio clips that were then leaked to the media. He claimed he was told that these were interceptions of phone conversations but was not sure if they were legal.

In July 2020, when the Ashok Gehlot government was being rocked by the rebellion of Sachin Pilot and 19 MLAs, certain audio conversations of rebel MLAs like Vishwendra Singh and Bhanwar Lal Sharma were leaked to the media and had gone viral.

One of these conversations was allegedly between Bhanwar Lal, a rebel MLA and Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat. The purported conversation indicated that the BJP was involved in the attempt to topple the Ashok Gehlot government.

Mr Shekhawat had filed a police case accusing Lokesh Sharma of leaking the alleged conversation. He also filed a defamation case against Mr Gehlot in connection with the issue.

The phone tapping case is being investigated by the Crime Branch of the Delhi Police who had summoned Lokesh Sharma earlier for questioning. He is currently on bail from the Delhi High Court, which has ordered non-coercive action against him

Lokesh Sharma has also alleged that Ashok Gehlot’s close aides were protected by him in the REET paper leak issue of 2022. The leaking of the teachers’ training exam paper or REET was also a political issue raised by the state’s Opposition BJP in last year’s assembly elections.

Mr Sharma has recently been tweeting against his former boss, but this is the first time he has openly spoken out about allegations of phone tapping —  his disclosures timed just a day ahead of voting in Rajasthan and especially voting in Mr Gehlot’s constituency Jodhpur.

Mr Gehlot, who is in Jodhpur after campaigning, has so far not commented on these allegations.

Jaipur:

The upcoming assembly election is not just about Rajasthan, it is also about Congress’ future, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said on Wednesday, and added that the country needed the party.

Urging party leaders to reject politics and make Congress candidates win the polls, Ashok Gehlot said that such leaders could later be given official positions by the government.

The party would resolve the issues with those who could not be given a ticket to contest the polls, the chief minister said.

Assembly elections are due in the state on November 25, and counting of votes will be done on December 3.

“Even if we could not give tickets to those who stood by us and to those who saved our government, we have told them to help elect candidates who are contesting for the party. Leave all kinds of politics. Nation is first. The entire country today needs the Congress party,” Ashok Gehlot said.  

“The election is not just about Rajasthan but it is also an election of Congress’ future. If they (party leaders) will make the party win the elections then they will be adjusted in boards after elections. If needed, we will give them the status of ministers.”  The chief minister said that it is natural that there is some resentment after ticket distribution among some party workers even though it was done after collective discussions. Still, there can be some complaints, he added.  He exuded confidence that Congress would win the elections.

Replying to a question on Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s visit to Rajasthan, Ashok Gehlot said, “It is a bulldozer government there. Is this the way to rule? Is it a democracy? Some people become happy due to their words. But if there is no rule of the law then we will also not be secure. Rule of the law is important for everyone.”  “They have destroyed law and order. You can imagine where they are taking the country. I don’t want to get into it,” he said. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Jaipur:

The BJP on Wednesday filed a complaint with the Election Commission of India claiming that Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot’s announcement of “seven guarantees” ahead of the November 25 assembly elections violated the poll code.

Last Friday, Ashok Gehlot announced five guarantees for Rajasthan, including a law on the Old Pension Scheme, buying cow dung and providing a laptop or a tablet to government college students, if his is reelected. Two “guarantees” were announced in Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s public meeting earlier.

A BJP delegation met with Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Praveen Gupta on Wednesday and submitted a memorandum, saying that once the Model Code of Conduct comes into effect, announcements of any kind of schemes by which a political party can attempt to influence voters are a violation.

The Model Code of Conduct came into force in Rajasthan on October 9 after the Election Commission announced the date for the assembly elections.

In a statement, the BJP alleged that Ashok Gehlot’s announcement was a violation of the Model Code of Conduct and also falls under the category of “corrupt practices’ under Section 123 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.

The BJP’s intellectual cell convenor Rajendra Singh Shekhawat said Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot recently wrote a message on social media about the seven guarantees of the Congress and asked people to register themselves to avail of the benefits of such schemes.

He alleged that luring the general public to register for such schemes is a criminal act and a violation of the Model Code of Conduct.

This is against the rules and should be stopped immediately, Mr Shekhawat said, adding that action should be taken against the Congress and its Chief Minister.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Jaipur:

Attacking the Central government on recent Enforcement Directorate raids in poll-bound Rajasthan, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said that the National Democratic Alliance government is “doing a crime” and the country “will never forgive them”.

“The NDA govt is doing a crime and the country will never forgive them…election is going on, ED keeps showing up at the houses of party leaders, keeping them (opposition leaders) busy throughout the day. BJP people are freely fighting the elections, whereas Congress leaders are being sent notices…,” Chief Minister Gehlot told reporters on Saturday in Delhi

“Even if they (BJP) lose elections in all 5 states, it won’t be surprising…ED has still not conveyed why they are raiding these political leaders and what they found so far…only BJP is talking, they have become ED’s spokesperson,” Mr Gehlot alleged.

ED on Thursday conducted raids at the residences of state Congress president Govind Singh Dotasara in Jaipur and Sikar. Additionally, a coaching centre allegedly linked to Dotasara was also searched.

The ED has also summoned Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot’s son, Vaibhav Gehlot, for questioning in a Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) case.

Mallikarjun Kharge told ANI, “They (BJP) want to spoil Gehlot’s election and demoralise and scare Congress leader. They do it always. We won’t be scared, we will fight strongly and will face this. Whatever they are doing is not right. We have been in politics for 50 years, but ED and IT raids during election time, have never happened. But today they are doing this to scare the CM. But one day they too will have to suffer.”

Congress leader Sachin Pilot expressed suspicion about the “timing,” “objective,” and “intent” behind the raids conducted by central government agencies in Rajasthan, suggesting that the BJP might be feeling vulnerable ahead of the Rajasthan assembly elections.

Mr Pilot criticized the BJP for specifically targeting Congress leaders without factual evidence, accusing them of attempting to use central agencies to influence the election outcome.

Polling for all 200 seats in the Rajasthan Assembly will be held on November 25 and the counting of votes will be held on December 3.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Jaipur:

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Saturday attacked the Centre and investigating agencies for summoning his son Vaibhav Gehlot in a foreign exchange violation case, saying that they made it a “practice” to disturb elections.  Referring to the Income Tax (I-T) raid at Cooperatives Minister Udai Lal Anjana’s premises on Saturday, Ashok Gehlot said it is a ‘drama’ as the investigating agency is not going to find anything.  

“Vaibhav was summoned on one-day notice. It was a simple notice asking for information. They could have asked it simply. If it was found that the information is incomplete and financial irregularities were caught then they could have asked him to appear. It has to be a system,” Ashok Gehlot told reporters at Jaipur airport before leaving for New Delhi.

Ashok Gehlot left for New Delhi to attend the screening committee meeting on Saturday. He further said, “If you will disturb the entire election like this, I would call it disturbing the elections. They have made it a practice to disturb elections.” Ashok Gehlot said that the ED, I-T and CBI are our premier investigating agencies and they are needed to deal with financial irregularities and other crimes.  

“Officers (agencies) are being troubled from the top for nine years through an agenda. Senior officials have to trouble junior officers to save themselves… they go about without adopting the due process,” Ashok Gehlot said.  He said that entering anyone’s house, who is not at fault, is a crime.   

“They enter houses and conduct raids. This cannot be justified. That’s why the credibility of these agencies is declining in the country. The entire country is discussing the ED, CBI and I-T,” Ashok Gehlot said.  

Ashok Gehlot said that he had said on Friday that soon after he announced guarantees, raids will be conducted. Today, our minister Udai Lal Anjana’s premises were raided, he said. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Jaipur, Rajasthan:

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot announced five guarantees ahead of the state Assembly polls that include free laptops and tablets for first-year government college students, implementation of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) through law and Rs 15 lakh insurance cover for losses incurred during any natural disaster.

Polling for all 200 seats in the Rajasthan Assembly will be held on November 25 and the counting of votes will be held on December 3.

Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, while addressing a press conference in Jaipur announced five guarantees for the people of the state and promised that the guarantees proposed by his government will be implemented if his government is re-elected in the November 25 elections.

He also said that the state government will purchase cow dung at Rs 2 per kilogram.

“Yesterday I had hinted at announcing five guarantees. Guarantees should be given after deliberation….We will pass a law to ensure Old Pension Scheme if Congress returns to power so that no government can stop OPS in future,” Ashok Gehlot said.

Ashok Gehlot said his government will also provide smartphones with complimentary internet service for three years to 1 crore women.

Ashok Gehlot further announced the guarantee of English medium education for every student.

Ashok Gehlot’s five guarantees are in addition to two guarantees which include cooking gas cylinders at Rs 500 for 1.05 crore families and an annual honorarium of Rs 10,000 to the woman head of a family in instalments.

The two schemes were already announced by Ashok Gehlot at Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s public rally in Jhunjhunu on Wednesday.

The Rajasthan chief minister said that the promise by senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to waive off loans of farmers was fulfilled in due time.

“Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge say that ‘fulfill the promises that you make’. Last time, Rahul Gandhi promised to waive off loans (of farmers) in seven days, and the promise was fulfilled in due time,” he told a press briefing in Jaipur.

However, speaking about raids by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Rajasthan Congress Chief Govind Singh Dotasra, the Chief Minister alleged that the agency made Dotasara its target because he is very much vocal against the Centre.

“Congress chief (of Rajasthan) has done so much advertisement of the government’s policies, programs, decisions…however ED reached his home…It has reached only to target him as he speaks a lot about the government..,” he said.

He further said that it’s the ED, ‘more than dogs’ that is on the prowl in the country.

“A chief minister (Bhupesh Baghel) had to say that more than dogs, it’s the ED that is on the prowl in the country. (Desh me kutton se jyada ED ghum rahi hai). What could be a bigger misfortune than this?” he said.

Thursday, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) carried out searches at the properties of Rajasthan Congress President Govind Singh Dotasra and the party’s candidate for the Mahua Assembly seat as part of a money laundering inquiry into an alleged examination paper leak case in the poll-bound state.

The premises of Dotasara, a former Minister for School Education, in Sikar and Jaipur, apart from party candidate from Mahua seat in Dausa, Omprakash Hudla, and some others were searched.

“What’s happening in the country? Democracy is under threat. The Constitution has been tattered. ED, Income Tax and CBI are following instructions (of the Central government)…They have become a political weapon for the past 9 years and only raid leaders of the opposition,” Ashok Gehlot added.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

In a strong reaction to the Enforcement Directorate searches on premises linked to the Rajasthan Congress President and an MLA, AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj has accused the BJP government at the centre of turning all of the country’s institutions into a joke.

“People are not even surprised anymore. They say even before such raids happen that elections are approaching in Rajasthan, so there will be ED action against parties there. Elections will also be held in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh. The BJP is frustrated in every way and it feels that people’s trust in the party is decreasing,” Mr Bharadwaj, who is also a minister in the Delhi government, said on Thursday. 

Speaking in Hindi, the minister alleged that the BJP is trying to get its opponents on the back foot and scare them, and that is why all these investigations are happening. 

“If a government has 150 departments, there can be 150 alleged scams. All you have to do is ask one of your people to file a complaint. That could be linked to the ration system, coal or recruitment. It becomes an alleged scam. Then they start calling it a scam and arresting the accused. Then they say ‘look, these people are corrupt’,” Mr Bharadwaj said.

He alleged that this has become a joke now and while no action is being taken on actual scams, agencies are being used to scare, trouble and intimidate the opposition. “The people are watching. They are understanding everything,” said the minister. 

Earlier in the day, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot’s son, Vaibhav Gehlot, was also summoned by the ED in connection with alleged violations of foreign exchange rules. Dismissing the allegations against his son, who has been asked to appear before the agency in Jaipur or Delhi on Friday, the chief minister said central agencies have lost all credibility. 

The agency also conducted searches on the premises of Rajasthan Congress chief Govind Singh Dotasra and Independent MLA and Congress candidate Omprakash Hudla in connection with a 2022 paper leak case.

Reacting to Ashok Gehlot’s claims, BJP Rajasthan president CP Joshi said Congress leaders do not need to be afraid of the ED if they are clean.

Jodhpur:

Campaigning in his assembly constituency, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Tuesday recalled the attempt to topple his government in 2020 and said those who tried it, “did not know who they were dealing with”.

“I have been the chief minister of the state three times. I completed all these three terms which is a big thing.

“It is not just that I completed all these three terms… they tried to topple my government this time but they failed. They thought that they would succeed here as well, but they had no idea who they were dealing with” Gehlot said.

The Congress leader was speaking while campaigning in his constituency Sardarpura for the second day. He held road shows and corner meetings in various localities of the constituency.

Mr Gehlot’s then deputy Sachin Pilot and 18 other Congress MLAs had revolted against him in July 2020. The month-long crisis ended after the intervention of the party high command. Mr Pilot was then removed as the deputy chief minister and state Congress president.

While Gehlot-Pilot ties have been strained since, with both openly taking pot-shots at each other, the party has been putting up a united face in the state in the run-up to the November 25 Assembly polls.

Mr Gehlot expressed gratitude to the people and sought their blessings for the upcoming election.

On Tuesday, his campaigning was focused on Mandore – a Mali-dominant area.

Mr Gehlot, who belongs to the Mali community, also attended a felicitation programme organised by the community in which 836 meritorious students were honoured.

While addressing various gatherings, Mr Gehlot said that it was his duty to come to his constituency immediately after getting the ticket and express his gratitude to them.

“You have always blessed me. So it was my duty to come to you first. Now, with your permission I would leave to take care of the remaining 199 seats,” he said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot meets supporters during his election campaign for Assembly polls in Jodhpur on October 23, 2023.
| Photo Credit: PTI

Calling Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat a “coward”, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Monday (October 23) said if he claims to be innocent in the alleged Sanjivani scam, why has he moved court against his arrest, and asked that the police be barred from filing a chargesheet in the case.

Speaking to the media in Jodhpur ahead of launching a campaign in the Minister’s Lok Sabha constituency, Mr. Gehlot also slammed Mr. Shekhawat, who is the Union Minister of Jal Shakti, for failing to declare the East Rajasthan Canal Project (ERCP) as a national project.

“If he is not an accused, why is he going to court for bail? Now you are praying for stopping the SOG (Rajasthan Police’s Special Operations Group) from filing the chargesheet. You believe you are not accused, you have not made any mistake. Why is the Union Minister being a coward?,” Mr. Gehlot said.

Mr. Shekhawat has filed a defamation case against Mr. Gehlot for accusing him and his family of being involved in the alleged Sanjivani Credit Cooperative Society “scam”. The Rajasthan High Court has also granted a stay on his arrest.

Thousands of investors have been allegedly duped of crores in the alleged Sanjivani Credit Cooperative Society scam.

The Chief Minister accused Mr. Shekhawat of not doing enough for the State even though he holds such an important portfolio.

“He could not even get the ERCP declared as a national project,” Mr. Gehlot said, terming it to be an important project for eastern Rajasthan.

He appealed to the people of western Rajasthan to also make it an issue since being part of the desert region, they understand the value of water.

Mr. Gehlot alleged that instead of executing the ERCP, the Centre was now forcing the Congress government in the State to suspend the project.

The Chief Minister also trained his guns on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accusing him of turning a blind eye to the violence in Manipur.

“Manipur is an integral part of our country. But it is burning due to a civil war there. Over 100 rapes have taken place there and 200 FIRs have been registered. But Modi has no time to pay a single visit there,” Mr. Gehlot said.

Taking a dig at Mr. Modi’s frequent visits to Rajasthan, the Chief Minister said that the Prime Minister could visit Rajasthan “10 times” but not Manipur even once.

“We raised the issue in Parliament but in spite of that, he did not utter a single word and did not give any reply to our questions. Giving answers is important in a democracy,” Mr. Gehlot said.

Referring to Mr. Modi’s remark on his absence at an inauguration and foundation stone ceremony of some projects in Jodhpur last month, Mr. Gehlot accused the PM of harassing the State governments, terming it to be unfair.

“He is harassing states. It’s not fair. He is spreading confusion,” the Chief Minister said.

“He goes on various inaugural functions of trains etc. Even if there is the railway minister, highway minister or whosoever present there, they are all behind him, and he keeps himself at the front. He always wants his face to be at the front,” Mr. Gehlot added.

Asserting that the Congress would be back in power in the State, Mr. Gehlot said that there was a favourable atmosphere for the party in villages. However, he said the atmosphere was a little communal in cities, accusing the BJP for it.

Atmosphere in cities has been vitiated due to their Hindu-Muslim division, but the people of cities will now teach them a lesson. People in cities are also convinced that a lot of work has been done this time (by his government),” he asserted.