Sachin Pilot clears the air, says he is not joining BJP

New Delhi, July 15: "I am not joining the BJP," Sachin Pilot said on Wednesday, asserting that he had worked hard to defeat the saffron party and bring the Congress back to power in Rajasthan.

Pilot told PTI that some leaders in Rajasthan were trying to fuel speculation that he is joining the BJP and he would like to categorically state that he was not doing so.

His remarks come a day after the Congress sacked him as Rajasthan's deputy chief minister and the party's state unit president. Two loyalists of Pilot were also dropped from the state Cabinet.

Minutes after his removal as Rajasthan deputy CM, rebel Congress leader Sachin Pilot said, "Truth can be rattled, not defeated". He also changed his profile on Twitter deleting all references to his position as deputy CM and Rajasthan Congress chief and only described himself as MLA of Tonk and a former minister of IT, telecom and corporate affairs, Government of India.

Rebel Sachin Pilot's removal from the posts of Rajasthan deputy chief minister and Congress state unit chief on Tuesday evoked mixed reactions from the party leaders, with a section of them still hoping for resolution of the matter and the rest blaming the young leader for his haste.

Most of the leaders, however, described the turn of events as "unfortunate" and "sad".