New Delhi: Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot on Monday called Sachin Pilot useless, using the Hindi word nikamma in a no-holds-barred attack on his former deputy with whom he is locked in a power tussle.
Referring to the dissident leader’s tenure as the Pradesh Congress Committee president, Gehlot claimed that nobody raised questions for the sake of the party even when they knew that he didn’t work.
“We knew he is ‘nikamma‘ (useless), he is ‘nakara‘ (good for nothing) and not doing any work,” the chief minister told reporters, his choice of blunt words indicating that there is no chance now of a reconciliation between the two.
Gehlot did not mention Pilot by name, referring once to him as his young colleague and recalling that he had been given important posts by the party at an early age.
The chief minister claimed that Pilot used to say, “Did I come here to sell vegetables? I came here to become the chief minister.”
He said Rajasthan was the only state where there had been no demand to change the PCC president over the past seven years, suggesting that his deputy’s sacking was done to prevent trouble within the party.
Gehlot said he had previously talked about a conspiracy to topple his government, but nobody believed that somebody with an “innocent face” could be involved.
He repeated his remarks about Pilot having a good command over Hindi and English and an influence over the media across the country.
Gehlot accused Pilot of “backstabbing” the Congress, saying it was unfortunate that a PCC president had been trying to make his own party sink by colluding with the BJP.
Last week, Pilot and 18 other MLAs rebelled, defying a party whip to attend two Congress Legislature Party meetings. He was then sacked as the deputy chief minister and PCC chief.
Gehlot said it was unfortunate that Pilot was playing this game even after getting important assignments within 10 or 12 years.
Asked about the possibility of a floor test in the assembly, Gehlot said, “You know what is to happen. The high court’s decision will also come, the assembly will also function. All decisions will also be taken.”
He added, “Satyameva jayate (Truth alone triumphs).”
‘Offered Rs 35 crore’, says MLA
Giriraj Singh Malinga, a former Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MLA who joined the Congress last year, has alleged that Pilot offered him Rs 35 crore to switch to the BJP, claiming that he turned down the offer. Responding to these comments, Pilot said he was “saddened but not surprised to be at the receiving end of such baseless and vexatious allegations”.
“This is done solely to malign me and to stifle the legitimate concerns that I had raised against the party leadership of the state, as a member and MLA of INC. This attempt further aims at defaming me and attack my credibility,” the former deputy CM said.
“The narrative is being redirected to avoid addressing the main issue. I will be taking appropriate and strictest possible legal action against the MLA who was made to make these accusations. I am sure more such concocted allegations will be thrown at me to cause aspersions on my public image. But I shall be unfettered and remain firm in my beliefs and convictions,” Pilot said.
(With PTI inputs)