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Tag: ashok gehlot

  • ‘Will be around for 15-20 years’: Confident Gehlot plans to remain Rajasthan CM even after next elections

    By Express News Service

    JAIPUR: Amid speculations that after Punjab, Rajasthan could see major changes, CM Ashok Gehlot has asserted that he is not going anywhere and will be around for another 15-20 years. His comments at the launch ceremony of “Prashasan Shahron aur Gawon ke Sang” campaign in Jaipur on Saturday have created a big buzz. Political corridors from Jaipur to Delhi are busy deciphering the veiled messages which the Congress veteran has tried to convey to his rivals within and outside his party.

    The senior Congress leader has been involved in a battle of wits with the Congress high command over sharing of power with the rival camp led by former deputy CM Sachin Pilot. A super confident Gehlot claimed that his government would complete its full tenure of five years and he would be active for the next 15-odd years. Gehlot said all speculations of an overhaul in Rajasthan after the change of guard in Punjab were “wrong and unfounded”.

    Far from being diffident, CM Gehlot has asserted that the Congress government would not only complete its five years but would also come back to power in the next Assembly elections in Rajasthan. “There is no anti-incumbency factor against our government. We have obtained authentic feedback from the people,” Gehlot remarked.

    CM Gehlot’s comments about the government’s stability are seen as an indirect counter to the Pilot camp which has been eager to see a leadership change in the state as in Punjab. Gehlot’s remarks have come at a time when the Congress High Command is facing a major crisis not only due to the mess in Punjab but due to the challenge from the G 23 group which has been targeting the Gandhi family for the past several months.

    Over the four decades of his political career, CM Gehlot has been well known for the timing and content of his statements. At a time when his critics in the Pilot camp are expecting a major overhaul in Rajasthan through cabinet reshuffle and political appointments, CM Gehlot has tried to turn the political tide to his advantage.

    Most political observers believe that CM Gehlot’s comments were directed at the rival camp in Congress led by his former deputy Sachin Pilot though he did not take any names. The 70-year-old Congress veteran has clearly asserted that he still has strong support at the ground level and unlike Amarinder Singh in Punjab, dislodging him in Rajasthan is simply not possible for the moment.

    Gehlot also asserted that his UDH minister Shanti Dhariwal will retain the same portfolio in the next government also. A signal that Gehlot plans to stay as chief minister if the Congress wins the next assembly election.

    “Dhariwal Ji has worked very hard will again make him UDH Minister next time also ” asserted Gehlot in one of his statement.

    CM Gehlot even referred to his recent angioplasty and thanked the people of the state for sending their wishes and prayers for his well-being. Significantly, however, the Chief Minister made no mention of the issue of Cabinet reshuffle as well as political appointments, which have been inordinately delayed. MLAs from the Pilot camp have been anxiously waiting for inclusion in the Cabinet and political positions ever since an assurance was given by the Congress high command but Gehlot has so far refused to accommodate them.

    For many months CM Gehlot has been resisting pressure from not just the Pilot camp but even the Congress high command over Cabinet reshuffle and other political appointments. Pilot was sacked both as the Deputy CM and the Pradesh Congress president after he and his 18 loyalist MLAs staged a rebellion against CM Gehlot in July last year. With his latest remarks, the wily Gehlot has signalled that he is in no hurry and will carry out the reshuffle only according to his own judgement.

    Rajasthan can have a maximum of 30 Ministers and with a present strength of 21, nine slots are vacant in the Council of Ministers.

  • BJP remembering Mahatma Gandhi due to political compulsions: Gehlot

    He urged the top leadership of the BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh to take inspiration from Gandhian ideologies.

  • Congress govt in Rajasthan will complete five-year tenure: CM Ashok Gehlot 

    By PTI

    JAIPUR: Amid internal rumblings in the Punjab and Chhattisgarh Congress, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Saturday said his government will complete its full five-year tenure.

    Gehlot also exuded confidence that he would again come back to power after the next assembly elections and reflecting his aspiration to become the Rajasthan CM for a fourth term too, he added that he would allocate the Urban Development and Housing Department again to Shanti Dhariwal for the fourth time.

    Speaking at a programme at his residence here to launch the ‘Prashasan Shaharon Ke Sang’ and ‘Prashasan’ Gaon Ke Sang’ campaign, Gehlot said there was speculation doing the rounds about Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh after Punjab.

    “The Congress government in Rajasthan will not only complete its five-year tenure but will again come back to power in the next assembly elections in the state,” he said.

    He added that he would again allocate the Urban Development and Housing Ministry to Shanti Dhariwal for a fourth time as he has worked hard to make the campaign, launched today, successful.

    In Rajasthan, former Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot and Gehlot have been locked in a leadership tussle.

    In Chhattisgarh, after Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel completed his two-and-a-half-year tenure in June, the T S Singhdeo camp claimed that the Congress leadership in 2018 had agreed to give the post to him after the government completed half its term.

    The Cabinet reshuffle and political appointments are also pending for long in Rajasthan and the Pilot camp MLAs have been demanding from the party high command to fulfil the promises made to him last year.

    Pilot and 18 other Congress MLAs had revolted against the leadership of chief minister Gehlot in July last year with the political uncertainties in the state existing for over one month.

    During Saturday’s programme, Gehlot, who underwent angioplasty in August, also said he is not going anywhere for the next 15-20 years.

    He said after the blockage in his heart artery, treatment was done.

    “The prayers of the people of the entire state helped me. Nothing is going to happen to me, nothing will happen for 15-20 years, if someone wants to be unhappy, it’s their problem,” he said.

    The chief minister claimed the ground level feedback reveals that there is no anti-incumbency in Rajasthan.

    “This is what people are saying. We have not left any stone unturned in doing the work but (we) don’t know what will happen next, but the mood of the public is of making us come back,” said the CM.

    In a light vein, he took a jibe at the bureaucracy saying bureaucrats are the first to worry if the government will stay in power or not and the first discussions on the issue start in the secretariat.

    He reiterated that the government will not only run for five years but come back to power also after the next elections.

    On the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti, Gehlot said after 60 years, the BJP adopted Mahatma Gandhi for political interests.

    If they adopt Gandhi’s ideas as well, many problems will be solved, he added.

    “On the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti, I would like to say to (RSS chief) Mohan Bhagwat, (Prime Minister) Narendra Modi and (Union Home Minister) Amit Shah from the bottom of my heart that if you have adopted Gandhi, the sense of truth, non-violence and secularism too should be there in your hearts,” he said.

    Gehlot also accused a section of the media of reporting in a biased manner.

    Witing against the Congress and creating stories against its chief ministers are the compulsions of a section of the media, he claimed.

    Rajasthan PCC president and Education Minister Govind Singh Dotasra, Urban Development and Housing Minister Shanti Dhariwal, Revenue Minister Harish Choudhary besides several other ministers, MLAs and senior officers too attended the programme.

  • Row in Rajasthan as education minister’s pic with REET paper leak mastermind goes viral

    Express News Service

    JAIPUR: The recent REET paper leak case has turned into a political controversy in Rajasthan after a picture of the mastermind of the paper leak racket with Education Minister and PCC chief Govind Singh Dotasra went viral on social media.

    Using that picture, the BJP demanded the resignation of minister Dotasra and also the cancellation of the REET exam. However, Dotasra denied any links with the mastermind saying many BJP leaders are also seen in different photographs with the same man. 

    Dotasra pointed out that the pictures of the REET cheating mastermind have also emerged with a string of BJP leaders like Rajya Sabha member, Kirori Lal Meena, and even with the Lok Sabha Speaker, Om Birla. He also claims that except for a few cases, the REET exam has been successfully organised without any major mishaps. He also asserts that the Rajasthan government has taken a tough stand against those involved in suspicious activities in the examination and has so far suspended 20 personnel including two RPS officers, one RAS, 12 teachers, and a few policemen. 

    ALSO READ | Gehlot govt gets tough over REET exam cheating, 20 officials suspended

    Batti Lal Meena, the mastermind of the racket who played with the future of the over 16 lakh aspirants, is now absconding. His pictures with Dotasra and some national functionaries of NSUI have flooded social media. 

    The Leader of Opposition Gulab Chand Kataria alleged that Batti Lal Meena is linked to Congress leaders, said  BJP state Chief Satish Poonia. At a press conference in Jaipur, Poonia said that either Dotasra should resign on moral grounds or Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot should sack him. Demanding that the investigation of irregularities in the REET exam should be handed to the CBI, Poonia said that he will write a letter to Gehlot on this matter as it is related to the future of lakhs of youth.

    The unemployed youth and opposition parties are questioning the transparency of the REET paper. Protests are being held by REET candidates who are levelling allegations of widespread cheating and irregularities during the examinations. In addition, BJP Rajya Sabha MP Kirori Lal Meena has said that he will prepare a strategy for a big movement after holding talks with a delegation of agitating youth for all examinations including REET. 

    Paper leaks and cheating rackets have become a huge headache for the Gehlot government in recent times. Over the past year, such incidents have rocked five major competitive exams in the state which include the test to recruit SIs, NEET-2021, JEN-2021, librarians of Grade 3 and now the REET Exam for recruiting teachers. 

    The mess in the REET exam has now started to heat up the politics of Rajasthan where two crucial by-polls for the state assembly are due to be held in a few weeks. 

  • Mutual trust despite different ideologies is strength of democracy: PM Modi on Gehlot’s demand list

    By PTI

    JAIPUR: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said mutual trust despite different ideologies is the strength of democracy.

    Responding to Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot’s requests regarding a few projects for the development of the state during a virtual programme, Modi thanked the veteran Congress leader for having faith in him.

    “I was listening to the chief minister of Rajasthan. He has given a long list of projects. I thank the chief minister of Rajasthan that he has so much faith in me. His ideology, (political) party are different and my ideology, party are different but this friendship, trust and faith is a big strength of democracy,” he said.

    Addressing the programme for the foundation laying of medical colleges in Banswara, Sirohi, Hanumangarh and Dausa districts and the inauguration of the Institute of Petrochemicals Technology in Jaipur, Gehlot requested the prime minister to approve a medical device park in Jodhpur and a bulk drug park in Kota.

    He also sought the Union government’s support to revive drug-manufacturing company RDPL, which was a joint venture of the Centre and the state.

    Talking about the challenges in service delivery, Gehlot said due to distances, the service delivery cost, be it in the health or in the education sector, from district to district and village to village is high in Rajasthan as compared to other states.

    He also said 30 of the 33 districts in the state will have medical colleges by 2023.

    Fifteen medical colleges are already there and 15 more will be ready by 2023, the chief minister said.

    Gehlot urged the prime minister to take a decision regarding medical colleges in the remaining three districts of Rajsamand, Pratapgarh and Jalore.

  • Gehlot govt gets tough over REET exam cheating, 20 officials suspended

    Express News Service

    JAIPUR: The Rajasthan government has suspended 20 officials including a RAS and two RPS officers for their suspicious role in failing to prevent cheating during the recent REET exam. 

    The move comes after the wife of a police constable was given the REET examination paper almost an hour before the test began last Sunday. 

    The REET exam was held to recruit 31,000 teachers for government schools in the state. 

    Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has announced that if the suspended officials are found guilty, they will be terminated from the service. Over the past year, paper leak and cheating rackets have been discovered in 5 major competitive exams in the state. With the role of many other officials also being regarded as dubious, the number of suspended officials could well rise in the near future. 

    This is the very first time in Rajasthan’s history that senior administrative and police personnel, as well as teachers, have been suspended in large numbers. Rajasthan Police had also detained five people on Monday for allegedly selling Bluetooth device-equipped ‘chappals’ worth Rs 6 lakh to applicants in the REET examination. 

    Taking strict action against those involved in allegedly suspicious activities during the REET-2021exam, the Rajasthan government has suspended 2 senior officials and 13 employees of the education department. In Sawai Madhopur district’s Wazirpur, Sub-Divisional Officer Narendra Kumar Meena (RAS) and two RPS officers named Narayan Tiwari and Rajulal Meena have been suspended. There were suspicious around the role of 13 employees of the education department during the conduct of the exam on Sunday. 

    The officials were suspended after FIRs were registered against them, according to School Education Minister Govind Singh Dotasra. He asserted that the employees will be terminated from service in case allegations are found true after the police investigation. Those suspended included 10 teachers, one lecturer, one physical education teacher, and one junior assistant. 

    In order to avoid cheating during the highly competitive REET examination, the Rajasthan administration had halted internet and phone services in over a dozen districts of the state, including capital Jaipur, from 6 am to 6 pm on Sunday. In addition, over 70,000 policemen were put on duty to counter cheating threats in the REET exam which saw 16 lakh candidates enrolling for the recruitment of 31,000 teachers in government schools of the state. 

    Paper leaks and cheating rackets have become a huge headache for the Gehlot government in recent times. Over the past year, such incidents have rocked five major competitive exams in the state. These include the Test to recruit SIs, NEET-2021, JEN-2021, Librarians of Grade 3 and now the REET Exam for recruiting teachers. By taking strict action against dubious officials, the Gehlot government is trying to check the menace that threatens to give a bad name to all government recruitment tests in the state.

  • No leadership change in Rajasthan, Gehlot has MLAs’ support: Congress leader

    By PTI

    JAIPUR: Ruling out the possibility of leadership change in Rajasthan like Punjab, Congress leader Harish Choudhary on Monday said that majority of the MLAs are with Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot.

    Choudhary, who is the Rajasthan revenue minister and was appointed observer along with Ajay Maken to handle the crisis in the Punjab Congress, also asserted that the leadership change there was done in a democratic manner.

    “More than 100 MLAs of Rajasthan are with Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot. Therefore, there cannot be, in any way, correlation between the two (states),” Choudhary told reporters here, while replying to queries.

    He said he does not see “any camp” in Rajasthan though there can be differences of opinion among the leaders.

    Choudhary said that his role in Punjab was limited.

    Congress veteran Amarinder Singh was replaced by Dalit leader Charanjit Singh Channi as chief minister following a bitter factional fighting in the state unit.

    “It happened in a democratic manner. Punjab MLAs wanted a change in leadership. The party high command allowed this and a proposal was passed in the Congress Legislature Party meeting,” Choudhary said.

    On former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot’s recent meetings with Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi, he said that Pilot is a member of the Congress family and meeting Rahul Gandhi or Priyanka Gandhi is natural About the possibility of cabinet reshuffle in Rajasthan, he said that it is the prerogative of the chief minister.

    Gehlot had last year survived an open revolt by Pilot whose camp is seen to have become active again in recent months.

  • NCPCR writes to Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot over marriage registration bill

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The NCPCR has written to the Rajasthan chief minister’s office expressing apprehensions over the Registration of Marriages (Amendment) Bill, 2021, saying it “legitimises” child marriages.

    The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights, in its letter, said the Section 8 of the amendment bill provides for registration of child marriages through marriage registration officers of the place where they have been residing for more than 30 days.

    The commission feared the enactment of the bill may have a serious impact on the physical, psychological, and social state of the minors, and their education.

    ​ALSO READ | Rajasthan passes bill to register child marriages, minister says move does not mean wedlocks valid

    It asked the government to reconsider the bill and review it in accordance with the law and welfare of the children in the state.

    “The bill — states that the marriage between the bridegroom who has not completed 21 years and the bride who has not completed 18 years of age could be registered by the parents or guardians within the 30 days of the marriage,” the NCPCR said in the letter on Friday.

    The commission said the bill “legitimises” child marriages in Rajasthan.

    The Rajasthan Assembly had last week passed the bill amending a 2009 Act.

    The bill has fomented a considerable controversy eliciting even a public interest litigation over the legitimacy of the said section.

  • After Punjab, Congress likely to tackle Rajasthan rift through Cabinet reshuffle

    Express News Service

    JAIPUR: The political turmoil in Punjab has created ripples and intensified political activity in Rajasthan. With the Congress high command replacing Amarinder Singh with Charanjit Singh Channi as the Punjab CM, a big buzz has been set off that the reshuffle in the Gehlot govt and political appointments in Rajasthan will soon be finalised. 

    The buzz in political circles is that after Punjab, a solution to the Rajasthan crisis is the top priority of the Congress High Command. 

    The Sachin Pilot camp is excited over a reported meeting between Sachin Pilot and Rahul Gandhi over the weekend. Pilot loyalists, on condition of anonymity, said after the Punjab resolution, a formula to resolve the Rajasthan rift cannot be delayed any longer. With Pilot reportedly holding detailed discussions with Rahul, they are confident that the party will soon take a ‘fair and balanced decision about Rajasthan at the earliest. 

    The Pilot faction expects that after the Punjab episode, a power-sharing arrangement will soon be worked out where the promised cabinet reshuffle and other political appointments will be finally settled. Sachin Pilot, who was sacked both as the deputy CM and the state Congress chief after his rebellion last year, has repeatedly expressed the hope that the high command will take effective steps to address the issues raised by him. After the Punjab saga, the Pilot camp is quite confident that the party will fulfill the promises made to them which have been inordinately delayed for one reason or the other over the past year. 

    ALSO READ |  Channi, Sidhu to be faces for Punjab polls, says Congress amidst fresh firefighting

    Significantly, though CM Ashok Gehlot stayed away from the recent session of the Rajasthan assembly due to illness, he is now suddenly back in action. Besides advising Amarinder Singh through Twitter not to do anything to damage the party, Gehlot is holding a cabinet meeting on Wednesday. On Monday, Gehlot held a review meeting on a special campaign of his government called ‘Prashasan Ganwo ke Sangh’ (Administration with Villages). While this was an online meet with senior officials, Gehlot on Wednesday will meet his ministers in person – in the first offline meeting of his Cabinet for over a year.   

    CM Gehlot has so far refused to act under any pressure for making the changes demanded by the Pilot faction. However, insiders say Gehlot is likely to soften his stance after a clear statement was made recently by the AICC general secretary Ajay Maken. The Incharge for Rajasthan had said that the roadmap for the state is ready and that the delay in Cabinet expansion, to accommodate Pilot loyalists, was only due to Gehlot’s recent angioplasty. 

    Though many in the Pilot camp claim that the AICC has made it clear that CM Gehlot cannot postpone decisions indefinitely, Gehlot loyalists are keen to assert that the Rajasthan situation is very different from that in Punjab. As state Revenue Minister, Harish Chaudhary who was one of the two AICC observers for the Punjab episode, remarked, “MLAs in Rajasthan are strong with CM Ashok Gehlot and there is no resentment towards him. The cabinet expansion would have happened but for CM’s ill-health. The day the CM’s plane flies towards Delhi, the cabinet expansion will also happen.”

  • Gehlot aide resigns from Rajasthan government after criticising Congress on Punjab crisis

    By PTI

    JAIPUR: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot’s OSD Lokesh Sharma submitted his resignation hours after posting a tweet which was seen as an indirect criticism of the Congress over the change of leadership in Punjab.

    The tweet appeared to refer to a strong person being made helpless and a mediocre person being elevated.

    The officer on special duty (OSD) to the Rajasthan chief minister submitted his resignation on Saturday night, seeking an apology for his tweet.

    Sharma met Gehlot on Sunday evening and explained his stand, saying his intention was not to hurt the sentiments of the party high command.

    He also offered the resignation in person and requested the chief minister to accept it.

    “I have resigned as the OSD to CM and requested the CM to accept the resignation. However, I will continue to work in the interest of the party like before,” he said.

    Sharma has been associated with Gehlot for over a decade now.

    He was looking after his social media accounts.

    He was made the OSD after Gehlot came to power in December 2018.

    During the tenure of the Ashok Gehlot government of 2008-2013, Sharma, a former state general secretary of the NSUI, was a member of the State Public Grievances Committee and in-charge of its Jaipur division.

    “Majboot ko majboor, mamuli ko magroor kiya jaye baad hi khet ko khaay, uss fasal ko kaun bachaye,” Sharma had tweeted after Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh resigned on Saturday.

    In the resignation letter, the OSD said he has been active on Twitter since 2010 and has not tweeted beyond party lines.

    Sharma said he never posted any political tweet after being given the responsibility of the OSD by Gehlot.

    However, he sought an apology if his tweet hurt the party high command and the state government in any way.

    The Delhi Police had registered a case against Sharma in March on Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat’s complaint.

    During the political crisis in Rajasthan due to a rebellion by former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot and 18 other MLAs last year, purported audio clips of conversations between Shekhawat, BJP leader Sanjay Jain and Congress MLAs Bhanwarlal and Vishvendra Singh were leaked.

    They were allegedly discussing a plan to topple the Congress government in the state.

    It was alleged that Sharma had circulated the audio clips, a charge denied by him.

    Meanwhile, Gehlot on Sunday implored Amarinder to think about the party’s interests and not do anything that may cause damage to it.

    He said he hoped that Singh will continue to work while keeping the Congress’ interest at the forefront.

    Gehlot’s remarks came a day after Singh indicated that the dissension-riven party could see more tension.

    Later, the chief minister took to Twitter to congratulate Charanjit Singh Channi on being elected as the leader of the Congress Legislature Party in Punjab.

    Gehlot said Singh is a respected leader of the Congress and advised him to listen to his “inner voice”.

    “I hope that Capt. Amarinder Singh ji won’t take any step that could cause damage to the Congress party. Capt. Sahib himself has said that the party made him CM and allowed him to continue as CM for nine-and-a-half years. He has worked to the best of his capacity and served the people of Punjab,” the chief minister said in a statement posted on Twitter.

    “I personally believe that the Congress president chooses the CM at the risk of inviting displeasure of several leaders who are in the race for chief ministership. However, when the same CM is changed, he/she is displeased and holds the decision wrong,” he said.

    The high command sometimes has to take decisions in the interest of the party based on feedback from MLAs and people, he added.

    Gehlot said the time now is such that all Congressmen need to rise above themselves and think of the party and the country.

    “I think that it should be a matter of concern for all the countrymen as to what direction the country is heading towards due to fascist forces. Therefore, the responsibility of all Congressmen increases at such times in the interest of the country,” he said.

    Declaring that he felt humiliated, Singh on Saturday resigned as chief minister of Punjab, capping a months-long power tussle between him and Navjot Singh Sidhu, who was recently made state party president much against the senior leader’s wishes.

    Over 50 Congress MLAs had written to party president Sonia Gandhi seeking that Singh be replaced as chief minister.

    In another tweet, Gehlot congratulated Channi after he was picked as the next chief minister of Punjab.

    “Hearty congratulations to Shri Charanjit Singh Channi on being elected as the leader of the Punjab Congress Legislature Party. I am sure Channi will be able to bring good governance by taking everyone along,” he said.

    Channi will take oath as chief minister on Monday.

    He will be the first Dalit to hold the post in Punjab.