Gehlot vs Pilot: Raj CM 'compares' his ex-deputy to Corona

Jaipur, Jan 19 (IANS) The differences between Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot which seemed to have settled down during former Congress president Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra have again started coming out openly.

On Thursday, a video of CM Gehlot's pre-budget conversation with employees' organisations surfaced in which without naming Pilot, the veteran Congress leader compared his junior party colleague to 'Corona'.

During the conversation on Wednesday, when the leader of the contractual employees, Shamsher Khan complained to the Chief Minister on not meeting anyone, Gehlot interrupted and said: "You are right... but now I have started meeting, I had met last Monday. What happened was that Corona came first and then came a big 'Corona' inside our party.

"Sometimes by-elections, sometimes Rajya Sabha elections. Even in the Rajya Sabha elections, votes were being cast somewhere and we were at different places. It was a bad time. The time that has passed... in a different way. Despite this, with your cooperation, blessings, support and blessings, we have come up with wonderful schemes, because of which everything has been covered. If our budgets were not good then you and I would not have been able to do what we are talking about," he said.

The Chief Minister told the employee leaders: "The damage which happened in four years has been our own, the way the days have been spoiled; don't meet, don't mingle and then I got corona thrice. Post covid got heart stunts. I agree with your complaint. Now, I am meeting... see you on Monday and will let you know the time if I go out for urgent work."

It needs to be mentioned here that Pilot is also attacking the government regarding the paper leak in his Kisaan Sammelans.

On Wednesday, Pilot raised questions on the CM's clean chit to the officers-politicians in the paper leak in Jhunjhunu's Gudha.

Pilot said: "When no leader or officer is responsible, then how did the paper come out from the vault... it was a witchcraft, someone must be responsible?"

Shortly after that statement, there was a pre-budget meeting of the Chief Minister.

In this, Gehlot mentioned "the corona of the party", in front of the employees.