Rahul parries query on Gehlot-Pilot rift, calls both assets for Cong

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi ended his Yatra on January 30, walking 3,500 km and passing through 12 states in five months [ANI Photo]


Amid escalating rift between Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and Congress leader Sachin Pilot, former party president Rahul Gandhi, on Monday said, both leaders are assets to the grand old party.

The former Congress president made this remark while addressing a press conference in Indore during the Bharat Jodo Yatra.

The Congress leader, however, said he would not want to create any controversy by making any comment on this particular issue, he said, and added, “What I can say is that both Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot are assets for the Congress.”

Notably, the Bharat Jodo Yatra, which is in Madhya Pradesh right now, will enter Rajasthan on December 4 as per the schedule.

While responding to the Congress MLAs who shifted to the BJP that had resulted in the collapse of Kamal Nath government in 2020 in Madhya Pradesh, Gandhi said they should not be given a place in the party again.

“Though, it is up to the Madhya Pradesh leadership to decide on this subject, but it is my personal belief that those MLAs who have taken money from the BJP to dissolve the Congress government should not be given the place again. It is my personal view, because they have been bought by the BJP, then they are not trustable,” Gandhi added.

During the press conference, he was also asked to share his opinion on 10 per cent reservation for general category, however, Gandhi maintained that at present, he has turned complete focus on Bharat Jodo Yatra, and not any other political issue. “It may be that I will answer this question later, but at present my complete focus is on how to complete this Bharat Jodo Yatra.”

Rahul Gandhi also said that he was not thinking about the party or any political issue during the Bharat Jodo Yatra. “Will Bharat Jodo Yatra have any impact on Congress? And at what level? I am not thinking about all these issues. I am not even thinking about the Congress. I am walking around 25 km every day, meeting with people and listening to them and I have made my complete focus on the yatra only,” Gandhi added.