Former Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot gets relief for so many days!

The Rajasthan High Court adjourned the hearing till Monday on the petition of dissident MLAs against the notice of the Speaker. This brought relief for four days from any action by the Speaker on the disqualification notices issued to Sachin Pilot and 18 other disgruntled MLAs of Congress. The bench, hearing the petition of the dissident MLAs, adjourned the hearing on Friday evening and set a time for hearing next Monday at 10 AM. The counsel for Assembly Speaker CP Joshi assured the court that no order will be issued on notice till 5:30 pm on Tuesday evening.

Out-of-court events were also intense in related incidents. The Rajasthan government sent a team of 'Special Operations Forces' (SOG) to Manesar in Haryana for investigation in an audio clip case where there was a possibility of disgruntled MLAs in a hotel.

The Congress cited two audio clips that surfaced on social media and demanded the arrest of Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, alleging that in a video he was heard talking on a conspiracy to topple the Congress government in the state.

At the same time, the Congress suspended two rebel MLAs - ousted ministers Vishvendra Singh and Bhanwarlal Sharma from the primary membership of the party.

In its FIR filed before the Rajasthan Police, the Congress alleged that Sharma's voice also appeared in the audio. Both Shekhawat and Bhanwarlal Sharma have denied the allegations leveled by Randeep Surjewala at a press conference. Sanjay Jain, the third person mentioned in the audio clip, was arrested at night.

Meanwhile, Additional Director General of Police (SOG) Ashok Rathod said that a team of SOG went to a hotel in Manesar to inquire about the disgruntled MLAs in the FIR registered in connection with the audio clip. However, the Haryana Police barred the Rajasthan Police team from entering the Manesar hotel. Rathore said that the police team was later told at the reception that the MLAs were not there and they returned.

The pilot camp has argued in the court that the whip of the party applies only when the assembly session is going on.

In its complaint to the Speaker, the Congress has sought action against Pilot and other rebel MLAs under paragraph 2 (1) (a) of the 10th Schedule of the Constitution. If the MLA renounces the membership of the party he is representing in the House, then this provision disqualifies the said MLA.

Congress claims that this is what is meant by the conduct of MLAs. However, the dissident camp said the pilot has never indicated his intention to leave the party. The pilot was dismissed from the post of Deputy Chief Minister and from the state Congress unit chief after rebelling against state Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot.

On the other hand, BJP state president of Rajasthan Satish Poonia hit back at the Congress in the audiotape controversy, saying that the Congress party chief and this entire state government are undertaking such methods to defame the BJP.

"Today, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat himself said that any agency of the world can investigate this audiotape, he is ready ... It means the head of the Congress party and this entire state government of BJP," Poonia told reporters. It undertakes this method of defamation. ''