Congress summons Pilot as he holds fast defying party’s diktat

New Delhi: Ignoring the warnings issued by the party that holding a dharna against own government would be seen as an “anti-party activity”, senior Congress leader and former Deputy Chief Minister of Rajasthan Sachin Pilot sat on a daylong protest fast in Jaipur on Tuesday demanding action from his own government over cases of alleged corruption during the Vasundhara Raje led BJP’s term.

Interestingly, Pilot sat on dharna at the “Shaheed Smarak Sthal” by putting a backdrop having the photo of Mahatma Gandhi only and there were no photos of any senior Congress leader as well as Congress name or symbol.

However, as per party insiders, the daylong fast observed by Pilot has not gone well with the central leadership as the high command has summoned him to explain.

The sit-on protest by Pilot has given a fresh opportunity to high command-backed Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot to take on his bête noire as moments after Pilot began his protest, Gehlot posted a video in which he listed his government’s welfare policies to counter Pilot’s “corruption crusade” narrative with his own about a “pro-poor, common man’s chief minister”.

“Rajasthan will be No. 1 by 2029,” Gehlot said, declaring price rise as an election issue.

According to party insiders, Pilot may face the party’s wrath for ignoring the “warning” of central leadership that his decision to hold dharna just a few months ahead of the assembly polls is “anti-party activity”.

The party’s central leadership has also conveyed that since the matter pertaining to his fast is very much related to the party, it cannot be termed an “internal” issue.

“If there is any issue with his own government, it can be discussed at party forums instead of the media and in public. This is clearly anti-party activity. I am in touch with him and I still appeal for dialogue since he is an indisputable asset to the Congress,” said Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, who is party’s Rajasthan in-charge.

As per party sources, Pilot is likely to be in Delhi to meet Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and the party’s first family members – Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

So far Pilot’s occasional revolt against Gehlot was being contained by Priyanka, but, as per sources, this time the Gandhis did not make any effort. Rahul and Priyanka addressed a rally in Wayanad (Kerala) -- the Parliamentary constituency represented by Rahul until his disqualification last month.

Except Rajasthan Tourism Minister Vishvendra Singh’s son Anirudh Singh, who recently targeted Rahul Gandhi for his remarks in the UK, no ruling party minister or MLA were present at the dharna site.

Notably, Gehlot and his former deputy Pilot have been at loggerheads since 2020 when the latter revolted against Gehlot’s leadership, leading to a month-long political crisis that ended after assurance by the party leadership, including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, to look into the issues.

Gehlot has earlier used terms like “gaddar” (traitor), “nakara” (failure) and “nikamma” (worthless) for Pilot, and accused him of being involved with BJP leaders in a conspiracy to topple the Congress government.