Jaipur: Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala on Friday accused Union Cabinet minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Congress legislator Bhanwarlal Sharma of conspiring to topple the elected government led by Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot in Rajasthan and subvert the voters mandate.
He further informed that the Congress has suspended Sharma and another MLA Vishvendra Singh from the primary membership of the party for their alleged involvement in horse-trading of MLAs and demanded registration of a case against them.
“Yesterday, shocking tapes were aired by the media in which Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, BJP leader Sanjay Jain and Congress MLA Bhanwar Lal Sharma spoke about bribing MLAs and bringing down Rajasthan government. Congress has suspended MLAs Bhanwar Lal Sharma and Vishvendra Singh from the primary membership of the party. The party has also issued show-cause notices to them,” Surjewala said.
“We demand Rajasthan government and Special Operations Group (SOG) to register FIR and arrest the culprits as plenty of evidence has surfaced now,” he further stated.
Surjewala also read out a transcript of alleged audio of horse-trading between rebel MLAs and BJP, stating, “BJP has breached the trust of people. The audio clip reveals horse-trading deal. This is a dark chapter in the history of democracy.”
“This time the Narendra Modi government has challenged the wrong state,” the Congress leader said.
He alleged that the BJP has been “conspiring to topple Rajasthan government and buy legislators’ allegiance.”
“BJP has played a role many times in horse-trading. It is clear that instead of battling the China issue and coronavirus pandemic, BJP wants to wrest power politically,” he added while addressing a press conference today.
Rajasthan Congress continues to remain in turmoil after simmering differences between Sachin Pilot and Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot came out in the open.
Pilot was, on July 14, sacked from the posts of Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister and state PCC president.
Gehlot has blamed the BJP for attempting to destabilise the state government by poaching MLAs.
A controversy had broken out in Rajasthan after Special Operation Group (SOG) sent a notice to Pilot to record his statement in the case registered by SOG in the alleged poaching of Congress MLAs in the state.