New Delhi:
BJP leader Jyotiraditya Scindia on Monday attacked his former party – the Congress – over the recent political crisis in Rajasthan, triggered by an open revolt by ex-deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot. The Rajya Sabha member, whose rebellion with 22 MLAs led to the collapse of the Kamal Nath government in Madhya Pradesh earlier this year, claimed capable leaders face problems in the Congress.
“It is a matter of pain that in the Congress, questions are raised on capable leaders. My ex-colleague also faced a similar situation recently,” Mr Scindia was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
“Pilot is my friend. Everybody is aware of the pain that he has gone through. How after so much delay the Congress is trying to set its house in order is also known to everyone,” Mr Scindia added.
Mr Pilot, upset with a notice to join a probe linked to an alleged conspiracy to topple the Ashok Gehlot government, had revolted along with other eighteen Congress MLAs last month. After he had skipped some meetings of legislators, he was sacked from his posts of deputy chief minister and the state Congress chief.
The MLAs loyal to Mr Pilot remained camped in BJP-ruled Haryana for weeks, endangering Mr Gehlot’s government.
Mr Gehlot had accused that Mr Pilot was in cahoots with the BJP in a conspiracy to topple the government by way of horse-trading. He had also called him “nikamma” or useless.
A breakthrough was achieved earlier this month after the senior Congress leadership met with Mr Pilot in the national capital and mollified him with the promise to look into his demands.
On Sunday, Congress president Sonia Gandhi accepted one of Mr Pilot’s main demands of removing Avinash Pande, the general secretary in charge of the state. The party also formed a committee comprising the new in-charge Ajay Maken, Ahmed Patel and KC Venugopal to address Mr Pilot’s grievances.
With inputs from PTI
