Gehlot raps Advani, Rajnath for failure in dealing with Raje

Jaipur, May 25(UNI) AICC general secretary and former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot today lambasted BJP Prime Ministerial Candidate LK Advani and party President Rajnath Singh for their ''failure'' to direct Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje for proper handling of the Gujjar agitation, which has claimed 40 lives so far.

Talking to reporters here, Mr Gehlot said,'' Criminal negligence of the Raje Government was responsible for flaring up Gujjar violence.'' He said as usual, Chief Minister Raje had failed to take timely initiative to resolve the issue through political parleys and dialogue and instead indulged in making provocative statements.

Mr Gehlot said it was the Chief Minister's habit that instead of political dialogue she always found solution to agitations in bullets.

Police firings on at least 20 occasions during various agitations or similar situations in the State during her regime, which left over 75 people dead, spoke volumes of the "Raje Government's failure", Mr Gehlot said.

He charged that even BJP leadership, including Mr Advani and Mr Singh, had failed to ask Ms Raje to handle such situations appropriately.

The former Chief Minister said, " the BJP leadership should explain to the people of Rajasthan why they are helpless to bear with such an incapable government." He said Ms Raje should have tendered her resignation by now.

However, Mr Gehlot also disapproved the manner in which the Gujjars were raising their demands.

He appealed to agitating Gujjars to exercise restraint and raise their demand in a non-violent manner.

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