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.)

Jodhpur:

Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said here Sunday that India will develop the North and South Blocks of Delhi’s Raisina Hill complex into the world’s largest museum in 2025 which will be almost double the size of France’s Louvre museum.

An agreement has been signed between France and India for this purpose, the tourism and culture minister said, adding that he was fortunate and proud to be part of the opportunity to execute the world’s largest museum project.

Gajendra Shekhawat was speaking to the media in his Jodhpur Lok Sabha constituency after arriving here for the first time since taking the oath as a Union cabinet minister.

“Once the Central Vista redevelopment project is complete and offices are shifted in 2025, the North and the South Blocks will be converted into a museum and it will be the world’s largest museum,” he said, adding that it will be almost double the size of the Louvre in Paris.

Gajendra Shekhawat said the proposed museum will tell the story of India spanning over 5,000 years.

The Union minister also said the meeting of the World Heritage Committee, of which India is a signatory, will be held in the country for the first time next month.

“I am sure that India, which occupies the third place in the world in the number of world heritage sites, will get one more heritage site this time,” he added. 

(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.

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.

New Delhi:

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Monday told a Delhi court that his allegations against Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in relation to the alleged Sanjivani scam were the “truth” and “cannot be termed defamation”.

The counsel appearing for Mr Gehlot told Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Harjeet Singh Jaspal that the BJP leader was served a notice by the Special Operations Group (SOG) of Rajasthan Police, probing the alleged Rs 900 crore Sanjivani Multistate Credit Cooperative Society scam, and he filed a reply to it.

He claimed that Mr Shekhawat suppressed the fact related to the notice.

“An FIR was lodged by the SOG Rajasthan in 2020. The complainant filed a reply to SOG’s notice…. He suppressed this fact from the court…. My client never said that the complainant has been convicted in the case. He said that the complainant is also an accused in the case,” the counsel told the court.

The counsel further said that a case of defamation was not made out against Gehlot.

“Prima facie there appears to be involvement….If I am telling the truth, it is not defamation,” the counsel said.

The court will further hear the matter on October 20.

The court had on August 7 summoned Mr Gehlot following Mr Shekhawat’s complaint over the Congress leader’s remarks linking him to the alleged Sanjivani scam.

The “scam” is related to thousands of investors allegedly getting duped of about Rs 900 crore by the Sanjivani Credit Cooperative Society on the promise of highly lucrative returns. 

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

Jaipur:

Preparations for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s scheduled mega event in poll-bound Rajasthan later today saw Union Minister and Jodhpur MP Gajendra Singh Shekhawat last evening knocking on the doors of a party colleague he doesn’t see eye-to-eye with — former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje. The BJP’s campaign for the state elections will kick off today, with a “Parivartan Maha Sammelan” in Jaipur, to be addressed by the PM. The event marks the culmination of the BJP’s four-phase “Parivartan Yatras”, led by senior party leaders across Rajasthan, which travelled across all 200 assembly constituencies to build momentum for the party ahead of the state elections.

Ms Raje was missing from the Yatra on her home turf in Jhalawar and Kota in the last two days. Mr Shekhawat’s sudden visit, triggering political buzz, is being seen as a courtesy call to send out a message that Vasundhara Raje is on board with the BJP, and happy to be part of the combined leadership formula of the Parivartan Yatra.

The two leaders have not been close ever since Ms Raje opposed Mr Shekhawat’s appointment as BJP chief in Rajasthan in 2018 saying it would distance the jaat community from the party in the 2018 elections.

After meeting Mr Shekhawat, Ms Raje also attended the BJP’s core committee meeting held at night at the BJP office in Jaipur.

आज भाजपा प्रदेश कार्यालय पर आयोजित भाजपा कोर कमेटी की बैठक में हिस्सा लिया। #BJP4Rajasthanpic.twitter.com/2O8KhlSrUB

— Vasundhara Raje (@VasundharaBJP) September 24, 2023

The mega rally in Dadiya in Sanganer, 16 km south of Jaipur, today will also see the PM take part in a public meeting on the passing of the women’s reservation bill. The BJP’s women’s wing has been tasked with organising the event. They will command 42 blocks of the “Parivartan Sankalp Mahasabha”, and also shower flower petals on the PM has he reaches the stage in an open jeep.

Before the rally, the PM will pay respects to Deendayal Upadhyaya at a memorial constructed at his native place in Dhankya Village, about 40 kms from the venue.

Jaipur:

Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat has said anyone who speaks against the Sanatan Dharma would have his tongue pulled out and his eyes gouged out.

A video of Mr Shekhawat making the purported remarks went viral on social media. He was speaking at a public rally in Barmer district of poll-bound Rajasthan last week during BJP’s Parivartan Yatra.

Reacting to the recent comments made by Tamil Nadu Youth Welfare Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin against the Sanatan Dharma, Shekhawat said, “We have to stand up to the challenge. We will pull out the tongue of anyone who speaks against Sanatan. We will also gouge out those eyes raised against Sanatan.”

“We challenge that no person who speaks against Sanatan will be able to maintain political position and power in this country. They try to attack our culture and history,” he said.

On September 2, Udhayanidhi Stalin, son of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin, had alleged that the Sanatan Dharma is against equality and social justice, and that it should be eradicated. He also likened Sanatan Dharma to coronavirus, malaria, and dengue fever.

In the rally, Mr Shekhawat also said the opposition INDIA alliance is a grouping of those who have been involved in various scams like fodder scam and others. He said opposition parties’ objective is to defeat Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

“(Congress president) Mallikarjun Kharge says that if Modi wins, Sanatan will become powerful, hence there is a need to defeat him. Two days ago, the DMK Chief Minister’s son made remarks against Sanatan. He (Udhayanidhi Stalin), while comparing it to coronavirus, says that Sanatan culture should be eliminated from the country,” the Jodhpur MP said.

Mr Shekhawat said that many invaders tried to weaken Indian culture for 2,000 years.

“Rulers like Alauddin Khilji and Aurangzeb tried but ancestors of yours and mine were capable and protect the culture. We swear by all those ancestors, whether it is Maharaja Surajmal, Veer Durgadas or Maharana Pratap, that we will not tolerate those who attack Sanatan. We will throw them away,” the Union Jal Shakti Minister said.

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

Udaipur:

Slamming the Gehlot government, Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said the BJP will return to power in Rajasthan with an “overwhelming majority”. 

“It is certain that the people of Rajasthan will vote us to power in the state with an overwhelming majority….we will form double-engine government in Rajasthan and lead it to the path of development,” he said while launching the BJP’s ‘Parivartan Yatra here.

Assembly elections are due in the state later this year.

The ‘Parivartan’ Yatras are scheduled across the state till September 5, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address a mega public rally on September 25 in Jaipur.

“In Rajasthan, the government that was formed in the state after the 2018 elections, focussed only on saving seats. In these 4.5 years, you have seen enough internal squabbles within the party whether between the Chief Minister and the Deputy Chief Minister or between members within the party….this had an impact on 7 crore 80-90 lakh people of Rajasthan. The people of Rajasthan have to shed tears of blood because of this,” the Union Minister told ANI.

On oppression against women in Rajasthan, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said Rajasthan has become the “rape capital of India.” 

“There is oppression against women continuously. Rajasthan which was the cultural capital of India became the rape capital. The government instead of stopping corruption gave shelter and confidence to those practising corruption in Rajasthan. There have been gang wars in Rajasthan and the government seemed incapable of handling them.”

Launching a sharp attack against Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on the Pratapgarh incident, the Union Minister said, “The Chief Minister shed responsibility at times by saying that so many incidents have come to light in Rajasthan because so many are being registered. At times he said that the perpetrators of most of these cases are relatives. Cases of atrocities against women, disrespecting women, gang rape have been taking place every day.”

Last week, a tribal woman was allegedly beaten and paraded naked in Rajasthan’s Pratapgarh. The incident came to light after a video went viral.

The Jal Shakti Minister further attacked the Congress ministers in Rajasthan for giving insensitive remarks against women.

“The Ministers have broken all shackles of shame by saying that there are so many cases in Rajasthan because it is a state known for its masculinity…this is why people are not scared of the police which leads to such unfortunate incidents,” Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said.

The Union Minister said that the government should find out the root cause behind such incidents and not stay limited to investigating the perpetrators.

“Just investigating the perpetrators is not enough. The government needs to find the root of such incidents and eradicate them. Not only Rajasthan but women from the entire country are filled with shame today,” he said.

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