Congress Leaders Accuse Sachin Pilot Of Misleading Youth With His Demands

The remarks come a day after Mr Pilot and Sainik Kalyan Minister Rajendra Gudha levelled fresh corruption allegations against the ruling dispensation.

Rajasthan minister Mahesh Joshi has come out in defence of Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot even as dissident Congress leader Sachin Pilot stood his ground on Tuesday, reminding Mr Gehlot of his demands. Amid the Ashok Gehlot-Sachin Pilot tussle in the Rajasthan Congress, Chief Minister loyalists Mr Joshi and Didwana MLA Chetan Dudi hit out at those lashing out against the government. Also, they accused Mr Pilot of misleading the youth through his demands.

The remarks come a day after Mr Pilot and Sainik Kalyan Minister Rajendra Gudha levelled fresh corruption allegations against the ruling dispensation. In a tweet on Tuesday, Mr Pilot said, "We have placed 3 demands in the Jan Sangharsh Sabha -- a high-level committee should be formed to investigate the corruption in the (former) Vasundhara government, reconstitution of RPSC due to corruption and increasing cases of paper leak incidents and clear institutional criteria and transparency for the selection process and financial compensation to youth affected by the paper leak." Without naming Mr Gudha over remarks that the Rajasthan government was going beyond the "40 per cent commission of Karnataka government", Mr Joshi said, "Such leaders should have thought before accusing their own government that they are in a way levelling these allegations on themselves too." Mr Gudha made the allegations during Sachin Pilot's rally in Jaipur on Monday.

A Sachin Pilot loyalist, however, said the demand for the reconstitution of the Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC) was for ensuring the transparent appointment of chairman and members so that the panel can instil a feeling of confidence among the youth that the selection will be fair on the lines of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).

In a statement on Monday night, Mr Joshi said those who have made the allegations know it well that whenever the matter of corruption has come, the chief minister has taken strong action by following the policy of zero tolerance and the anti-corruption bureau's actions against the corrupt are indicative of this. Mr Dudi, who was earlier considered close to Sachin Pilot but stood with the government during the political crisis in 2020, said the three demands raised by the dissident leader were impractical and completely incomprehensible.