Pilot to fast against own govt, questions CM Gehlot on corruption

In a fresh attack against Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, Congress leader Sachin Pilot has said that he will go on a day-long hunger strike on April 11 against alleged "corruption" in the state.

Addressing a press conference, Pilot said he and other Congress leaders had raised the issue of corruption by the then BJP government when they were in Opposition and had promised to take action after the grand old party is voted to power.

No action was taken and to press for the demand, I will observe a day-long fast at Shaheed Smarak on April 11, Pilot told reporters at a press conference.

"On April 11, I will do a one-day hunger strike to mark my words that action should be taken against corruption in the state so that the public does not feel that we are not doing any work or we have not fulfilled any of our promises," Pilot said.

Stepping up his attack against Gehlot, Pilot said "I wrote a letter to CM and said that elections are coming and we must show the public that there is no difference between our promises and our work. But I have not received any answer from the CM yet...In Rajasthan, we are neither using them nor misusing the investigating agencies...Our workers and public should not think that we don't fulfil our promises."

"You all know that the central govt is misusing the central agencies. On one hand where central government is misusing the agencies to target the leadership of Congress, but in Rajasthan, we are neither using them nor misusing them. This was an important issue..because the public should not think that we don't fulfil our promises," he said.

The feud between Congress leaders Sachin Pilot and Ashok Gehlot is not new. The infighting saw an ugly phase when CM Gehlot accused Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Pilot of conniving to topple his government in 2020.

Rajasthan police issued notices to Pilot to record his statement in connection with the alleged attempts to "topple" the Congress government. This became major flash-point with where Pilot showed first signs of rebellion.

Pilot, skipped two crucial meetings called by CM Gehlot and stayed put at a hotel in Manesar along with 18 MLAs in his camp amid reports that he is in talks with the BJP. Later, the Congress sacked Sachin Pilot as the Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister and the state party chief, and two Rajasthan ministers, who had joined the Pilot camp, were dropped from the cabinet.

Ashok Gehlot's 'gaddar' (traitor) remark against fellow Congress leader Sachin Pilot sparked a row, last year.

Since then, Rajasthan Congress has seen several bouts of the never-ending Pilot vs Gehlot tussle.