Ashok Gehlot attacks Raje, says corruption has crossed all limits

Criticising the BJP government in Rajasthan for allocating land to party offices, former chief minister Ashok Gehlot on Wednesday said that the Congress will probe everything after coming back to power in the state.

Gehlot also cautioned officials not to come under government pressure and work in an unbiased manner.

“The BJP is purchasing land in districts. Land worth crores are being given away at throwaway prices. Land is purchased for Rs 1 cr or Rs 1.5 crore… on a writ related to land in Sirohi, the Jodhpur High Court has issued a notice, there land worth Rs 25 crore has been given for Rs 1 crore. Bureaucrats should avoid getting embroiled and not work under any pressure. Misdeeds of the BJP government will be probed by Congress when it comes to power,” he alleged.

Addressing newspersons at his home in the city, Gehlot said, “Corruption has crossed all limits. Earlier, there was no mafia but now in Jodhpur a number of firing incidents are being reported. There used to be liquor and land mafia but now Bajri (river sand) mafia is developing, they are playing a different game and money is circulated from bottom to top. The Supreme Court’s decisions are violated and in the name of technical issues state is being looted.”

On his new responsibility in New Delhi, Gehlot said, “I am a party worker. The party gave me responsibility in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Gujarat and now in New Delhi. It is hard to find such an obedient child who performs the assigned duties responsibly.”

Hitting out at chief minister Vasundhara Raje, he said, that she has made a record of misusing government money when she had become the chief minister. Gehlot claimed she should step down from the post in view of the “continuous humiliation” by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah.

The Raje-led BJP government has failed to deliver on all fronts, including law and order, corruption, handling bureaucracy, water and farmers issues, Gehlot alleged.

He said Raje’s government will be remembered as the ‘lathi charge’ government as they have left no section be it students, farmers, teachers etc.

On Bharat Bandh, the ex-CM alleged that it was a conspiracy of the government, they had given free hand to protesters. Had effective police arrangements been made on April 2, there would have been no loss of life.

Gehlot also accused the BJP, which rules the Centre as well as Rajasthan, of creating an environment of hatred in the country. “All sections of society are dissatisfied be it Dalits, the poor, farmers, youth etc. It is unfortunate that people are not able to breathe in open air due to the environment prevailing in the country.”