'Maintain dignity,' Ashok Gehlot told by party colleague over 'traitor' remark

Jaipur, Nov 25: Congress Steering Committee member Harish Chaudhary on Friday targeted Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot for calling senior party colleague Sachin Pilot a "traitor," asking for dignity to be maintained.

Chaudhary's reaction came a day after Gehlot called Pilot a "traitor" over Pilot's 2020 revolt against the state leadership.

"A traitor cannot be a chief minister ... The Congress high command cannot make Sachin Pilot the chief minister... a man who doesn't have 10 MLAs," Gehlot had said in an interview aired Thursday.

Meanwhile, Soldiers' Welfare Minister Rajendra Gudha, who has been supporting Pilot for the CM post, said that 80 per cent of the MLAs are with Pilot.

Criticising Gehlot, Chaudhary on Friday at a press conference said: "No matter who the person is or at what post, there should be dignity in choice of words. Today across the world, Rajasthan is recognised for its words.

"I am sorry, I don't have much experience, I am not three times CM, or three time Union minister, or three time state party chief." He further said, "I am 52 years old but haven't used a wrong word during any struggle or clash. What will the future generation learn?" "This is Rajasthan and here, we have to maintain the dignity of words," he told reporters.

Chaudhary, who is also an MLA from Baytu assembly seat in Barmer, said that Gehlot being the "guardian" of 102 MLAs of the state should choose this words carefully.

Gehlot, too, had earlier called himself the guardian of 102 MLAs, and someone who stood with the party during the political crisis of 2020.

When asked if he too believes that Pilot is a traitor, Chaudhary said, "I am sorry, I don't have such a vocabulary."