Reacting sharply to Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot’s remarks against him on a TV news channel, Sachin Pilot, the young-brigade Congress leader, on Thursday, hit back at CM saying, “No person shall be so insecure, and if we do not remain united then how will we win next assembly polls?”

In a special interview to NDTV, which went viral on social media, Gehlot at an airport runway site blasted Pilot calling him ‘gaddar’ (traitor) and said it was ‘out of question’ that the young leader could replace him in future.

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“Pilot cannot replace me as he had revolted against the party in 2020 and tried to topple his government. The MLAs will never accept a person who has revolted against the party and the government. I have proof that Rs 10 crore each were distributed to the MLAs, and we were staying in a resort for 34 days,” Gehlot said, taking a jibe at his younger colleague.

In response to the chief minister’s fulminations, in an interview to ANI, Pilot said, “Even before today, Gehlot ji spoke many things about me, rejected me and called me +nakkara and Nikkama (worthless). I want to say that there is no need to make such statements today. It is inappropriate for senior leaders to say such things, it is not right to make allegations. No person should be so insecure, if we don’t remain united then how will we win. There is a need to strengthen the hand of Rahul-Kharge-Priyanka by staying united. Rahul Gandhi, who is taking out Bharat Jodo Yatra today, we should work to strengthen them”.

The immediate provocation for Gehlot could be videos on social media showing Pilot walking with RaGa and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra during the Bharat Jodo Yatra in Madhya Pradesh. However, a number of Pilot loyalists (MLAs) have been demanding that the party high command should replace Gehlot with Pilot before the next assembly polls.

Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition G C Kataria, the BJP State President Satish Poonia and Deputy Leader R S Rathore laughed at the tiff between the two senior Congress leaders saying the public would give the Congress a befitting reply in the next year’s assembly polls.