At the end of its five-day long Jan Sangharsh Pad Yatra, of Sachin Pilot faction on Monday issued an ultimatum to the Ashok Gehlot Government in Rajasthan, accept three main demands against corruption and paper leak cases within next 15 days or be prepared for an indefinite ‘statewide andolan’ (agitation).
The yatra was joined by two of the Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot’s ministers, at least 10 sitting Congress MLAs and scores of formers.
On the culmination of his yatra at Taruchaya Residency near Jaipur highway, former deputy chief minister Pilot sounded a warning to his own government. He demanded that students who suffered during competitive examination on account of paper leak should be compensated with financial assistance, the Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC) should be dissolved and reoriented to secure the future of the youth and a high-level probe instituted on alleged graft cases during former chief minister Vasundhara Raje ‘s tenure.
“I had undertaken a one-day maun vrat (silence) in Jaipur on April 11 over these demands, but no response was forthcoming from the Gehlot Government for a full one month. Now that I have accomplished five days of pad yatra covering 125 km, if the government does not respond by the end of this month, Pilot won’t stop, but launch a massive agitation from Dhani to every tehsil, village and to urban cities against corruption and welfare & future of youths. Will ensure justice to everyone…”
He said that he will continue to serve the people and youths of Rajasthan till my last breath of his life. “I am not afraid. I am not going to be suppressed. I have fought for you and will keep fighting,” he asserted addressing thousands of his supporters braving scorching heat.
“Pyar se mango ge, haath kaat kar de denuga, dhamkaoge to hilne wala nahin hoon… Aap jo mere saath chale ho is garmi mein, aap ke pairon ke chaalon ki kasam, hum pichhe hatne wale nahin hain. (If you ask me with love, I will chop off my hands, but if you threaten me, I am not going to move… You (the audience) have walked with me in this scorching heat, I swear by the blisters of your feet, we are not going to back down), Pilot assured.
Two Congress ministers, Rajendra Singh Gudha, Hema Ram Choudhary; Chairman of Rajasthan Scheduled Castes Khiladi Lal Bairwa, Senior Citizen Welfare Board Chairman Gopal Singh Idwa, former PCC President Narayan Singh Choudhary, former speaker and MLA Dipendra Singh Shekhawat, PCC VP Rajendra Choudhary, and ten party MLAs shared the stage with Pilot on the occasion.
Speaking on the occasion, Sainik Kalyan Minister R S Gudha said, “There was 40 per cent corruption in the outgoing BJP government in Karnataka, but in Rajasthan it is cent percent. The alignment of our government has gone bad and broken all records of corruption. No file was moved without money in the UDH Department led by Shanti Dhariwal.”
Targeting Chief Minister Gehlot, Cabinet Minister for Forest and Environment Hemaram Choudhary said, “I am hurt by allegations made by the chief minister. If he is found guilty of taking money, then I should be thrown out of the cabinet. Why have you made me a minister?”
Hemaram further said, ‘Many Congress leaders obstructed this rally, accused us of taking Rs 10, 20, 50 and 100 crore. Why then are people like us sitting as ministers? You are accusing your own government. The one who goes to the CM becomes a moneylender and the one who does not, becomes dishonest.”
Ved Prakash Solanki, a right-hand man of Pilot, said, “When would you (Congress/Gehlot) declare Pilot as chief minister, we will give a detailed of account (horse trading amount of Rs 10 to Rs 20 crore) to you and how long would the party test the ability of workers and leaders. We are ready to face every situation.” A number of other MLAs and former functionaries also addressed the last phase of Pilot’s Yatra questioning the state chief minister for not doing anything on Raje’s graft cases and curbing corruption in the state.