Rajasthan Congress crisis far from over, Sachin Pilot in Delhi

Congress leader Sachin Pilot is in Delhi for the past two days amid reports of his discontentment with the Congress leadership over the demands he was assured would be resolved. Back in July 2020, he had openly revolted against the leadership of Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot which ended after the party high command convinced him that they’d be given their due in the state government.

The crisis in Rajasthan for Congress is far from over as a party legislator has claimed that some MLAs’ phones are being tapped. Congress MLA from Jaipur’s Chaksu seat Ved Prakash Solanki, who is close to the Sachin Pilot camp, claimed on Saturday that some MLAs told him that their phones were being tapped though he refused to reveal their names. He added that he is not aware of whether his phone is being tapped or not. 

This sensational claim of phone tapping got a response from the rival camp of Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot. While rebutting this claim, Rajasthan Minister Pratap Singh Khachariyawas said that the government does not tap anyone’s phone. “Rajasthan government doesn’t tap anyone’s phone, that’s not our character. If an MLA says that his phone is not being tapped but mentions other MLAs who say that their phones have been tapped, then he should reveal those names and speak to the Chief Minister,” he said.

This is not the first time when such charges of phone tapping are being made in the current government as this was one of the important points raised by the rebel camp led by Sachin Pilot in July last year. The Gehlot government at that time gave some audio clips to the Rajasthan Police for an investigation into whether these MLAs were hatching any plan against the government. The case was closed after the intervention of Congress Central leadership and a committee was formed by the AICC to address the grievances of Sachin Pilot camp. 

Meanwhile, Pilot has been camping in Delhi since Friday and according to sources, he is in constant touch with the party’s top leadership. A source has claimed that Pilot is not going to leave the party. He wants fulfilment of assurance that was given to him 10 months back at the time of forming a grievances redressal committee by the party high command.

Another source in Congress has said that a cabinet expansion is expected soon in Rajasthan where some of the Pilot loyalists will also be accommodated. Meanwhile, after these phone tapping allegations, BJP has taken a dig at Congress. Arun Singh, Rajasthan BJP in-charge said that a conspiracy of spying is going on in Rajasthan under Chief Minister Gehlot’s leadership. “This happened earlier too and the Chief Minister admitted in the Assembly that phone tapping indeed took place. Rajasthan is going through an extremely bad phase. There’s conflict in Congress,” ANI quoted Singh as saying.