News Analysis India

Tag: ashok gehlot

  • BJP condemns Gehlot government for demolition of Salasar temple gate

    By PTI

    JAIPUR: The demolition of ‘Ram Darbar’ entry gate to the famous Salasar temple in Sujangarh of Churu district has led to outrage among right wing organisations after a video of the action was circulated.

    The gate was demolished by the Public Works Department on March 15 for widening of road.

    Opposition BJP condemned the Ashok Gehlot-led state government for the action, while several right wing organisations have threatened to protest against the action.

    “Demolishing Ram Darbar and entry gate to Salasar Balaji in the name of development is unfortunate and condemnable. Is this the only development of Congress government?” former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje said in a tweet.

    BJP Rajasthan tweeted, “‘Nocturnal act’ of Gehlot government in Sujangarh! In the dark night, the Gehlot government ran a bulldozer on the idols of Lord Ram and his Darbar. Gehlot ji, we will not forget.” Churu MLA Rajendra Rathore threatened to agitate and raise the matter in the assembly, while demanding action against all the guilty officials.

    Other BJP leaders including state president Satish Poonia and Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat also targeted the state government.

    Reacting on the issue, Congress state president Govind Singh Dotasra said that BJP is trying to make an issue out of a non-issue.

    “BJP wants to do politics in the name of religion. The gate was removed as it was coming in the way of road widening,” he told reporters. “They want to make an issue out of a non-issue. They are the people who had demolished 370 temples in Jaipur during their rule.” He said that Lord Ram belongs to everyone and that the Congress has always honoured Gods and Godesses.

    He accused the BJP of indulging in hypocrisy because elections are near. PWD AEN Babulal Verma said, “The gate was constructed by Salasar temple management. Widening of road required 18 metres area and the existing span was 12 metres. It was needed to demolish the gate due to technical aspects.”

    “The contractor has already given assurance to construct the gate,” he said. He said before the demolition the department had given a notice to the Salasar temple management.

    On March 16, when Hindu organisations got the information about the demolition, they blocked the road and staged a demonstration. They called-off the dharna only after they were assured that the gate will be rebuilt.

  • Rajasthan health minister to crack the whip against doctors who avoid rural duty

    Express News Service

    JAIPUR:  To provide better health facilities to the people, the Ashok Gehlot government in Rajasthan plans to bring the Right to Healthcare Bill soon.

    However, many hospitals in rural areas of the state are closed due to shortage of doctors and health workers.

    Rajasthan’s Health Minister Parsadi Lal Meena has now opened a front against over 3,000 government doctors who are posted in villages, towns and smaller districts, but use their influence to get recommended for additional posts in big cities, which enables them to avoid rural posting. 

    The minister’s announcement in the assembly to end the deputations of government doctors who stay in cities despite being posted in rural areas has caused a stir. 

    Due to the reluctance of doctors to serve in villages, over 3,500 posts of doctors are lying vacant in rural areas across the entire state. Most doctors want to stay in capital Jaipur, where 161 doctors are engaged in the super-speciality hospitals of SMS College.

    Given the elections in December next year, the Gehlot government is focusing on health sector and Meena’s announcement is being seen an attempt to address the shortcomings in the medical facilities in rural areas and far-flung districts. 

    According to sources in the health department, there are 3,688 posts of doctors in 33 districts. About 1,000 doctors are posted in medical colleges without any posts, although they get their salary from the place where they are posted.

    “I have seen such community health centres (CHCs) where not a single doctor is present. There are six CHCs and 200 Primary Health Centers where there are no doctors. This is a matter of great concern,” Meena said. 

    He said the government has recruited 12,000 ANMs (auxiliary nurse and midwives) under the National Rural Health Mission. Yet, 1700 sub-centres have no ANMs. 

    The minister appealed to MLAs not to come to him with recommendations, nor entertain such recommendations themselves in matters of postings and deputations. 

  • BJP won assembly polls by polarising votes: Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot

    By PTI

    JAIPUR: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Saturday accused the BJP of winning the assembly elections in four states by polarising votes and making clever statements.

    Addressing a gathering at Gandhi Circle here after participating in a peace march on the 92nd anniversary of the Dandi March, Gehlot also said the people need to maintain harmony in today’s atmosphere of tension in the country.

    Hitting out at the BJP after the peace march on Jawahar Lal Nehru Road, Gehlot said, “They won elections by giving statements cleverly in the name of Hindutva and polarisation.”

    “The situation is serious in the whole country, in states. Everyone knows how was the management of the corona pandemic in UP. Such questions are left behind because they speak cleverly,” he said.

    “In the atmosphere of tension in our country today, we need to maintain harmony by following the path of truth, non-violence and peace as shown by Mahatma Gandhi,” he said.

    Gehlot hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying the way he delivers “tactful” speeches, people believe his words as they feel that stated by the country’s PM, they must be true.

    Reacting to allegations that Congress was defaming central agencies, Gehlot said the whole country is watching what is happening in the judiciary, Income Tax department besides ED and CBI.

    “The Prime Minister accuses the opposition of defaming the agencies. The whole country is watching what is happening in the country. What is happening in the judiciary, Income Tax department, ED and CBI? The world is watching how raids are being conducted inside the country, everyone knows on one side that they are defaming the opposition about that too,” he said.

    The chief minister asserted that the truth will win ultimately.

    “We will have to reach out to the people to tell them the truth, only then BJP people will be exposed and the truth will come out. We will bring the truth by following the path of Mahatma Gandhi,” he said.

    “His message of non-violence becomes more relevant in the current situation of unrest in Ukraine today,” he said.

    Earlier, Gehlot also offered flowers to the statue of Mahatma Gandhi.

    Along with the Chief Minister, several ministers, MLAs and other public representatives attended the programme.

    Gehlot also said the media is under pressure and supports them (BJP).

  • Sachin Pilot had called me to get ministerial berth in UPA-II, I’d already recommended his name: Ashok Gehlot

    Sachin Pilot, who was elected as the MP from Ajmer in 2009, was the union minister of state and Ashok Gehlot was the chief minister of Rajasthan.

  • ‘RSS did not play any role in freedom struggle’: Gehlot

    He said Congress leaders made many sacrifices before and after the independence and the people of BJP and RSS are suffering from some kind of guilt.

  • ‘Gehlot government fulfilled 70-80 per cent of poll promises’, claims Dotasra

    By PTI

    JAIPUR: Congress state president Govind Singh Dotasra on Saturday claimed that 70 to 80 percent of the promises made in the public manifesto were fulfilled during the three-year tenure of the government.

    He was speaking at the open convention organised by the Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee here today. He said that during the convention two resolutions were passed. One resolution was passed to take the failures of the Centre to the village, dhani, and at ward level.

    Another resolution that involved conveying suggestions and feedback of workers to the Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, was also executed.

    Gehlot too held a pre-budget discussion with state Congress leaders and workers in the convention.

    Dotasra said that in the convention discussion on the achievements and failures of the state government was discussed.

    Issues that troubled people whether they are farmers, women, or unemployed, were also discussed, he said.

    He said expectations of Congress workers and common people from the upcoming budget were also shared with the CM.

    “Discussion was held on how we can give good governance, how we can strengthen the organisation, how we can highlight the failures of the central government to the villages, dhanis, wards and how we come to power again in 2023 and oust Modi government in 2024,” Dotasra said.

    Congress’ Gujarat in-charge Raghu Sharma said it is for the first time that an exercise was carried out to include sentiments of party workers in the state budget.

    Sharma told reporters that Congress would form governments in Uttarakhand, Punjab, and Goa and is performing very well in Uttar Pradesh.

    He said people of the country have been disillusioned with the Union government led by PM Narendra Modi.

    “People have understood that they have been cheated with false promises,” he said, adding that the centre has done little except selling nation’s assets built over 70 years by the vision of Congress leaders.

    He said that neither employment, nor GDP has increased in these seven years of the Modi government.

    “It is a matter of concern where the country is headed financially today…They have been in power for seven years, but today whether it is petrol, diesel, cooking gas, their prices have sky rocketed but they are not ashamed of it,” Sharma said.

  • REET paper leak: Guilty won’t be spared, says Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot

    By PTI

    JAIPUR: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Tuesday said those involved in the REET paper leak case won’t be spared and he accused the opposition of instigating the youth over the issue.

    “The SOG is doing its work impartially that is why the accused are being caught and new revelations are being made every day,” Gehlot said in a tweet.

    He alleged that the opposition is demanding a CBI inquiry into the case so that the state government could be defamed.

    It is not in the interest of the youth and the government will get all the culprits punished, no matter how influential they are, the CM said.

    “I had said earlier also that the easiest thing for the government to do is to cancel the exam and get it re-conducted. In the interest of the youth, the government gave a free hand to the SOG,” he said.

    He said to the satisfaction of lakhs of candidates, the state government has decided to cancel the REET Level-2 exam and re-conduct it by increasing 30,000 posts.

    The CM said, “The BJP, which has been repeatedly demanding a CBI inquiry on every case, should tell the results of the investigations given to the CBI in the last three years,” he said, citing some of such cases.

  • World’s ‘third-largest’ cricket stadium coming up in Jaipur

    By PTI

    JAIPUR: The world’s third-largest cricket stadium is going to be built in Jaipur, and Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and BCCI president Sourav Ganguly on Saturday laid the foundation stone of the project virtually.

    BCCI secretary Jay Shah also joined the event virtually. Before the foundation stone laying ceremony, Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA) officials performed a ‘bhoomi pujan’. This stadium is being built on the Jaipur-Delhi bypass, as per an official statement.

    RCA president Vaibhav Gehlot said a target has been set to complete the construction in three years. It will be the second-largest cricket stadium in India and the third-largest in the world, he said, adding that it would seat 75,000 spectators.

    “Today is a golden day for Rajasthan cricket. Former RCA president C P Joshi dreamt of the association having its own stadium in Jaipur. The atmosphere of professional cricket is being created in Rajasthan,” Chief Minister Gehlot said.

    A stadium each will be built in Jodhpur and Udaipur as well, the statement said. Seven out of the 10 big stadiums in the world are in India, and this new stadium of Rajasthan will be in the third place, it added.

    BCCI president Ganguly said that a lot of resources have been developed in the last 10 years. “Today, BCCI is the leading cricket board in the world. Even if we talk about junior cricket or Ranji, the Sawai Man Singh stadium here is the best, but now it is a matter of happiness that we are building the third-largest stadium in the world,” he added.

  • Bid to change history: Gehlot on merger of Amar Jawan Jyoti with NWM’s eternal flame

    By PTI

    JAIPUR: Terming the merger of Amar Jawan Jyoti with eternal flame at the National War Memorial in New Delhi as an attempt to change history, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Saturday questioned what was the problem for the Modi government if two different flames continued burning in honour of the martyrs.

    He said a golden history is made by doing great deeds.

    Gehlot said the move of extinguishing the Amar Jawan Jyoti at India Gate and merging the two is “beyond everyone’s comprehension”.

    “If two different flames kept burning in honour of the martyrs, then what was the problem for the Modi government? It is an insult to martyrdom to extinguish the Amar Jawan Jyoti, which has been paying homage to the martyrs for 50 years,” Gehlot tweeted.

    “Doing such misdeeds is an attempt to change history, but the Modi government should understand that such efforts do not change history, but a golden history has to be made by doing great deeds,” he said.

    The chief minister said the Amar Jawan Jyoti is the memory of the soldiers who divided Pakistan into two nations.

    Extinguishing it and giving it the name of “merger” is an attempt to dilute the purity of that light, he said.

    “It is highly condemnable to do such an act on completion of 50 years of Bangladesh war victory,” Gehlot added.

    The ruling BJP on Friday accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of trying to create an “unnecessary controversy” over the decision to extinguish Amar Jawan Jyoti and merge it with the immortal flame at the National War Memorial, and said he lacks knowledge of basic historical facts.

    Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri noted that India Gate is a monument to Indian soldiers who had sacrificed their lives in the first World War, and Amar Jawan Jyoti was lit there to commemorate the sacrifice of soldiers in the 1971 victory over Pakistan as there was no war memorial then.

  • Atmosphere of tension, violence prevailing in country: Gehlot during event attended by PM

    By PTI

    JAIPUR: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Thursday said an atmosphere of tension and violence is prevailing in the country as he stressed on the need to work for peace and harmony during an online event attended by PM Narendra Modi.

    He said India’s traditions have been rich and glorious, propagating the idea of “Vasudhaiva kutumbakam”, which means all world is one family.

    The Rajasthan chief minister also countered the claims that the country did not progress for over seven decades after the Independence, a narrative used by political parties to target the Congress, which ruled a majority of the period.

    Gehlot was speaking at the national launch ceremony of the “Azadi Ke Amrit Mahotsav se Swarnim Bharat Ke Ore”, organised virtually by the Brahma Kumaris, a spiritual movement.

    The prime minister flagged off yearlong initiatives during the programme.

    “There is a need to strengthen peace, harmony and brotherhood in the country because it is being seen that there is an atmosphere of tension and violence, and it is the desire of all to get rid of it,” Gehlot said.

    He said PM Modi visits other countries and gets respect because the country had progressed in 75 years in science, technology and other areas, which is being valued by other nations.

    “We have a glorious history. As we are celebrating Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, we should remember Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Patel, B R Ambedkar, Lokmanya Tilak and others who struggled to get us freedom and because of them we have reached here in the past 75 years after Independence,” said the CM.

    “Our country’s identity is not new and from the ancient time, we have believed in Vasudhaiva kutumbakam, which means the world is one family,” said the CM.

    “I believe that the country and society can progress only by walking on the path of truth and non-violence. The development will happen where there is peace and this is what we believe in,” he added.

    Meanwhile, the opposition BJP in Rajasthan shared on Twitter a part of the CM’s speech, in which he is speaking about the violence in the country.

    The BJP compared it with the PM’s speech, which the party said reflects “positive thinking”.

    “On one hand, there is hateful thinking of the Congress and on the other is the positive thinking of Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” the BJP tweeted sharing the video clip.

    Countering it, the chief minister’s OSD Lokesh Sharma shared the complete speech and said false propaganda should not be run.

    “The CM has talked about ‘Vasudhaiva kutumbakam’. His thinking is that peace, harmony, brotherhood should be strong in the country, which is the biggest need,” he said.

    Earlier, delivering the keynote address, Modi noted that one’s progress is aligned with the nation’s progress and stressed the need for giving importance to one’s duties for the country’s rise.

    “We also have to admit that in the 75 years after Independence, a malaise has afflicted our society, our nation and us all. The malaise is that we turned away from our duties and did not give them primacy,” he said.

    Launching more than 30 campaigns and 15,000 programmes, the prime minister said people only talked of their rights all these years and fought for them.

    Speaking of rights may be right to some extent in certain circumstances but forgetting one’s duties completely has played a huge role in keeping India weak, Modi said and called for everyone to work together to discharge their duties that will remove social ills and also take India to new heights.

    The Brahma Kumaris is a worldwide spiritual movement dedicated to personal transformation and world renewal.

    Founded in India in 1937, the Brahma Kumari movement has spread to over 130 countries.

    The event was held on the occasion of the 53rd ascension anniversary of Pitashree Prajapita Brahma, founder father of the movement.