Rajasthan Crisis: State headed for constitutional crisis, says BJP after meeting Governor

New Delhi, July 25: A delegation of the opposition BJP met Rajasthan Governor Kalraj Mishra and discused prevailing COVID-19 and political situation in the state,

BJP state president Satish Poonia and Leader of Opposition Gulab Chand Kataria led the 13-member delegation.

Addressing reporters after the meeting Rajasthan BJP chief Satish Poonia and other BJP leaders hit out at Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and the Congress, accusing them of theatrics and preventing the Governor from carrying out his constitutional duty.

"The warning that '8 crore people will gherao the Raj Bhavan' given by Chief Minister and Home Minister of the state can invite punishment under Section 124 of the IPC," BJP state president Satish Punia after party delegation met Governor.

"Chief Minister is the head of the state & he said he'll not be responsible for a breach in law and order situation. If not him, then who'll be responsible? He should tender resignation for using such language," said Kataria.

Another BJP MP, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, said "what Congress govt did at Governor House was a low-point in Rajasthan politics. There is no governance, those in power are lodged at a five-star hotel since weeks. People are suffering due to various issues."

Meanwhile, the political situation in the state is unlikely to an end anytime soon, with Gehlot saying that the MLAs in his camp, currently at the Hotel Fairmont, might have to stay there for at least 21 days more.

The Rajasthan Congress likely to meet again Governor again requesting him to convene a session of the Assembly.

A revised proposal will be forwarded to the governor after approval by the Cabinet.

The Congress government is pushing for a session of the Assembly so that the chief minister can prove his majority on the floor of the House after the Rajasthan High Court on Friday ordered that status quo should be maintained on the disqualification notices sent out by the Speaker to Pilot and 18 other MLAs.

The Governor on Friday asked the Ashok Gehlot government why it wanted to call an Assembly session to secure a vote of confidence if it already had the majority.

The governor posed the query in a six-point questionnaire entailing a note sent by the Raj Bhawan to the state Parliament Affairs Department, the Raj Bhawan said in a statement.

In his note to the state government, Governor Mishra emphasised that 'no one is above the Constitutional dignity and no pressure politics should be resorted to.'

He also pointed out that neither had any date for convening the session been mentioned in the Cabinet note, annexed with the government's request, nor had the Cabinet given its approval to it.

The government has neither given any reason for calling the session on such a short notice nor proposed any agenda for it, said the governor, pointing out that a 21-day notice is mandatory for calling an Assembly session.

In the statement, the Raj Bhawan added that Governor Mishra had also asked the government 'to ensure the independence and freedom of movement of all members of the legislative assembly'.

Congress MLAs loyal to Gehlot on Friday held a five-hour sit-in at the Raj Bhawan to press for an Assembly session.

The Congress said it ended the sit-in following an assurance from the Governor that he will abide by Article 174 of the Constitution, after getting some clarifications from the CM.

The provision deals with the Governor's role in summoning a session of the assembly.