State agencies working at BJP's behest: Sachin Pilot

Jaipur, June 11: Former union minister Sachin Pilot Wednesday said the FIR filed against him and seven others, including former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot, over allegations of corruption shows how state agencies are working on the BJP's directions.

"It seems government agencies have started to work at the behest of the BJP and Congress functionaries are being targeted," Pilot told reporters here.

"The BJP had levelled these charges earlier too. If an inquiry has to be done, it should be conducted by an independent agency and if no charges are proven against me then Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje should resign," Pilot added.

On Tuesday, a first information report (FIR) was filed against former chief minister Ashok Gehlot, state president of the Congress Sachin Pilot and six others here on allegations of a scam in the running of the 108 ambulance service.

A spokesperson of the former chief minister said the issue was raised in the state assembly on previous occasions as well.

"These kinds of decisions are not taken at the chief minister's level," the spokesperson told IANS here Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Health Minister Rajendra Rathore said a FIR has been registered and the law will take its own course.

The police after conducting an inquiry into former mayor of Jaipur Municipal Corporation Pankaj Joshi's complaint of July 31, 2013, decided to register a case against Gehlot, Pilot, former health minister of Rajasthan A.A. Khan, former union finance minister Chidambaram's son Karti P Chidambaram, Ravi Krishna, son of former union minister Vayalar Ravi and others under section 420 (cheating and dishonesty), 467 (forgery of valuable security) and 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating), and 120 B (party to a criminal conspiracy), among others.

"We have referred the case to CB (Crime Branch) CID for further investigation," Investigating Officer Sawant Singh told mediapersons here.

Joshi in his complaint had alleged financial irregularities in operating the 108 ambulance service during the previous Congress regime.

The 108 ambulance service is part of the National Rural Health Mission and is a public-private partnership to ensure help for emergency patients.

He alleged that Ziqitza Health Care due to its strong political connections was hired to run the ambulance service in the state in a non-transparent manner and was overpaid during the period 2010-11.

The Bharatiya Janata Party alleged that Ziqitza Health Care has been co-founded by Ravi Krishna with Karti Chidambaram on its board of directors.

IANS