Entire Sachin Pilot camp is playing into BJP's hand: Ashok Gehlot

Jaipur, July 14: In his first statement after the sacking of his deputy Sachin Pilot, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Tuesday said that he knew the BJP was hatching a 'big conspiracy' and that the Congress high command was compelled to take the decision (of sacking Sachin Pilot as Deputy CM).

"The high command was compelled to take the decision because since a long time BJP was conspiring and resorting to horse-trading. We knew it was a big conspiracy; now some of our friends went astray because of it and went to Delhi," Gehlot said.

Gehlot also said that he has been impartial to all MLAs, adding that no one is happy about the decision. "The attitude was similar to the saying 'aa bail mujhe maar' given the tweets and statements of the last few months... I've been impartial to all MLAs...no one is happy about the decisions and we tried to reach out but hobnobbing with BJP has taken place," he said.

Apart from removing Pilot, the party also removed his loyalists Vishvendra Singh and Ramesh Meena from the state cabinet.

Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot met Governor Kalraj Mishra immediately after the CLP meeting and apprised him about all the latest developments.