On 22nd November (Wednesday), Prime Minister Narendra Modi slammed the Congress party and the Gandhi family over the treatment of Sachin Pilot by the party while addressing multiple election rallies in poll-bound Rajasthan. In a scathing attack on the Gandhi family, PM Modi asserted that those who challenge the family within the party, their career would be as good as finished.
Addressing an election rally in Jahazpur in Bhilwara district, PM Modi said, “The Congress’s leaders from Delhi are challenging the young people here who have faith in Lord Devnarayan. They are saying that (Ashok) Gehlot will be chief minister again…look at the arrogance of the Congress leaders in Delhi… If anyone dares to speak the truth in Congress which is unpalatable to the family, then rest assured that person’s political career is over.”
Notably, Lord Devnarayan is the clan deity of the Gurjar community and Sachin Pilot hails from the Gurjar community. The Gurjars predominantly voted for the Congress party in the last elections hoping that a leader from their community, Sachin Pilot would become the Chief Minister. However, after coming to power, Congress made him the deputy of Ashok Gehlot who later went on to make unsparing remarks against him. Additionally, their duel has been out in the open for more than three years.
However, this is not the first time that PM Modi has taken a dig at the feud between Congress leaders Pilot and Gehlot. Earlier on 18th November, he slammed Congress for pretending that a truce was made after both leaders shook hands for a photo-op. He compared their recurrent reconciliation efforts with the unkept vows of chain smokers to quit smoking.
Strikingly, the Gurjar community has a significant presence in the seven assembly constituencies in Bhilwara district.
During his rally, PM Modi cited the example of the late Rajesh Pilot and accused the Congress leader of meting out a vendetta against his son Sachin Pilot. He said, “Rajesh Pilot once challenged the Gandhi family for the benefit of the party…he later backed down but the family punished Rajesh Pilot and is also punishing his son… Rajesh Pilot passed away but the Congress party is taking out its anger against his son.”
The incident PM Modi was indicating took place in 1996 when Narasimha Rao resigned from the post of party president. Sharad Pawar and Rajesh Pilot challenged Sitaram Kesri who had previously served as the party’s treasurer for nearly two decades. However, they lost the elections. Afterward, Sonia Gandhi became active within the party, and simultaneously, Rajesh Pilot lost favours with the party leadership. Later, he died in the year 2000.
In his election rally, PM Modi asserted that the incumbent Congress Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot would never form the government in Rajasthan again.
In Rajasthan’s Sagwada rally, he prophesied, “I am making a prediction from this sacred land of Mavji Maharaj who made accurate predictions. I am predicting that not only this time but never again will Ashok Gehlot form the government in Rajasthan. Wherever Congress people are going to seek votes, they are getting only one answer from children, elderly, women, and youth, ‘Gehlot ji, koni mile vote ji’.”
Stressing that policymaking is crucial for development, PM Modi lambasted Congress, accusing it of having a policy to go soft on terrorists, rioters, and indulge in Corruption.
He said, “But Congress is such a party that makes anti-people policies and takes anti-national decisions. Congress’s policy is to be soft on terrorists, rioters, and criminals and to indulge in corruption. These policies of Congress made Rajasthan top in crime in the country… Congress misrule did not even spare minor girls, the incident in Kotdi shamed the entire country.”
The Kotdi incident PM Modi referred to in his rally relates to a minor who was reportedly gang raped and burnt alive in a kiln in Narsinhpur village in Kotdi sub-district in August this year.
Further in his election rally in Rajasthan, PM Modi said, “When ministers give clean chit to rapists in the Assembly, how can our mothers, sisters and daughters remain safe? Congress has left no stone unturned in looting Rajasthan in the last five years.”