JAIPUR: The war of words between supporters of chief minister Ashok Gehlot and his former deputy Sachin Pilot continued on Wednesday.
Independent legislator Ramkesh Meena, who accused Pilot of being casteist, continued the attack on him and said the former deputy CM was an outsider in Rajasthan.
Meena alleged Pilot was spreading caste hatred and was trying to destabilise the state’s Congress government even today at BJP’s instigation.
The MLA claimed that since 2006 Gurjars backed by Pilot have stopped Panchna dam water from reaching lands owned by the Meena community.
“Are the locals dead that outsider Pilot wants to be the CM here? If the Congress high command wants a Gurjar to be the CM, there is no dearth of big leaders from the community in Rajasthan.
State Congress has a line of Gurjar leaders, including Jitendra Singh, Ashok Chandana and Shakuntala Rawat,” said Meena.
The independent MLA said Pilot staying in Rajasthan would damage Congress.
Pilot loyalist Congress MLA Indraj Gurjar reacted: “Pilot is not a ‘ baahari’ (outsider) but a ‘ bhaari’ (heavyweight) leader.
Who are these Independents interfering in the internal affairs of Congress? Who has sought their support? Don’t support; Congress has 107 MLAs of its own,” Gurjar said.
Congress MLA PR Meena said, “Pilot family is into Rajasthan politics for the past 42 years but never practiced caste politics.
In the 2018 state election, 80% of the Meena community voted for Congress under Pilot.
Ramkesh Meena is not Congress MLA; he was earlier with BSP and now an Independent.” Deputy leader of opposition Rajendra Rathore jumped in the Congress infighting by tweeting in Pilot’s support.
“Finally, CM Ashok Gehlot’s close aide Ramkesh Meena has spoken out what has been going on in the chief ’s mind.
As per his statement, Sachin Pilot is an outsider.
So, Congress’s supreme leader Sonia Gandhi is originally from Italy.
Former PM Manmohan Singh was born in Pakistan.
Rajya Sabha MP from Rajasthan, KC Venugopal is from Kerala.
If Pilot is an outsider, who are these influential Congress leaders.
Please clarify,” Rathore wrote.