Congress National General Secretary Sachin Pilot has delivered a strong political message at a farmers’ conference in Karauli. His remarks came amid recent statements made by former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot.
Without mentioning names, Pilot said he has no personal rivalry with anyone and that people know he always speaks carefully. He stressed that struggle and truth are important in politics, but so are patience, restraint, respect and humility.
Ashok Gehlot had raised eyebrows this week with remarks about Sachin Pilot and his version of the September 2022 showdown that did not allow a change of guard in the state. Gehlot said the rebellion was not against the Congress High Command’s decision but the choice of Pilot as his successor.
“I have spent 25 years in politics. I understand both the good and bad sides of it. I have seen many political moves and strategies, but in the end, it is the people who decide the outcome,” Pilot said.
Read: Sachin Pilot vs Ashok Gehlot, Round 2 : Battle For Rajasthan Congress Narrative
He said he chose words carefully because once spoken, words cannot be taken back. Restraint and responsibility are essential in public life, he had added.
During his speech, Pilot also remembered his father and former Union Minister Rajesh Pilot. He said in the 1990s, controversial godman Chandraswami wielded enormous influence and many political leaders were afraid even to mention his name. Rajesh Pilot, however, challenged that influence and helped bring him within the ambit of the law.
Self-styled godman Chandraswami was known to be close to politicians like former prime minister PV Narasimha Rao, and was investigated in connection with several high profile scams and political scandals.
Pilot said that public life should be guided by truth, principles and courage, and that working for public interest should remain the core objective of politics.
At the same event, former Congress minister Ramesh Meena launched an attack on Ashok Gehlot. Referring to Gehlot’s allegation that MLAs who sided with Sachin Pilot had accepted Rs 10 crore each, Meena said a narco-analysis test should be conducted to get the truth.
Read: Opinion | Ignored By Rahul, Haunted By Pilot: Inside Ashok Gehlot’s Grand Meltdown
He further said that if such allegations are investigated, then allegations that financial support was given to Independent MLAs and the BAP Party should also be examined.
Meena went on to say that there is no point in repeatedly reviving old controversies and Gehlot’s continued statements are harming the Congress. He said whenever the Congress tries to move forward, such remarks pull the party backward. Pointing to Rahul Gandhi’s praise for Congress leaders during his Rajasthan visit, he said continued infighting and public statements could weaken the party further.
In 2022 Gehlot was supposed to shift to Delhi to take over as chief of the Congress party and a new face — possibly Pilot — was supposed to take over his job in Rajasthan. That switch did not happen because over 100 MLAs refused to support the party high command’s decision.
“The September 25 episode was against the person whose name was doing the rounds to be sworn in as the next Chief Minister, Pilot sahab. A situation was created where 100 MLAs got together and they said ‘Make anyone of us the Chief Minister. We stuck by the party and saved this government but we cannot have someone who went to Manesar and tried to topple our government as the next Chief Minister’. Now this was misrepresented as a revolt against the high command,” Gehlot said.
“If I had revolted against the high command would I have been allowed to continue as the Chief Minister? Sachin Pilot should also understand this. We are not his enemies. We have retained affection for him since he was a child. Whether it is him or my son Vaibhav, they were 2-3 years old then when we were MPs. So I always consider him like that even today, but I don’t know who guides him in politics now,” Gehlot told reporters in Jaipur.
