'Gehlot swallowed 6 elephants': Raj BJP chief on Cong-BSP 'merger'

Jaipur, March 16 (IANS) Taking a dig at Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot over six Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) legislators joining the Congress, state unit BJP president Satish Poonia on Thursday said the veteran Congress leader has "swallowed six elephants".

Six BSP MLAs had joined Congress soon after the formation of the government and extended full support to Gehlot. The elephant is the party symbol of the BSP.

On Thursday, a protest -- 'Halla Bol' programme, was organised by the Rajasthan BJP in Bharatpur against the "Congress' policies".

Bharatpur district unit BJP president Jagat Singh said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi should be put in a mental asylum.

"Rahul Gandhi should be put in a mental asylum. Next time, when the BJP comes to power, the 'entire Congress party' will be put in jail," Jagat Singh said.

Meanwhile, Poonia said: "No one can eat an elephant but Gehlot is a magician. This time, BSP - 'Bijli, Sadak aur Pani' - will become the reason of the Congress' downfall."

He further said that Rahul Gandhi and his mother -- the former Congress president Sonia Gandhi, will be sent to their maternal grandparents.

"There is a state of complete anarchy in Rajasthan... farmers, young women, Dalit, etc., are deprived of their rights. They are upset as well," he said.

Poonia said that Rahul Gandhi had promised that if the Congress comes to power in Rajasthan, it would waive the entire loan of the farmers.

"... but even after 1,500 days, 200 farmers of Rajasthan committed suicide," he said.

He claimed that Rajasthan has one of the highest unemployment rates in the country at 28 per cent.

He also said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a BJP-led government will be formed in Rajasthan in 2023 and for the third time in 2024, Modi will become the Prime Minister with another historic victory.

After the meeting, an attempt was made to gherao the Bharatpur collectorate under the leadership of Poonia.

The workers broke the barricades and tried to enter the collectorate.

Later, the BJP workers, including Poonia, were arrested and they were dropped in the BJP office in 3 buses.