Instead of holding fast, Sachin Pilot should have raised his demand in assembly: Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa

Senior Congress leader Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa on Wednesday said former Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot should have raised his demand for action in corruption cases in the Rajasthan Assembly, instead of holding a day-long fast.

The AICC in-charge for Rajasthan also said he was "looking minutely" at those working for the Congress party and those creating problems for it.

"There is no bigger platform than the assembly because the opposition was sitting; the Congress MLAs and the chief minister (Ashok Gehlot) were sitting. He should have raised his points in the assembly about what our government has done till date. The chief minister had to answer," Randhawa told reporters at the Birla auditorium here before a one-day workshop for party leaders.

Pilot skipped the workshop. According to his office, he is in Delhi.

It was for the second time since his one-day fast on April 11 that he did not attend a party programme.

He did not participate in the one-to-one dialogue of Congress MLAs with Randhawa, Gehlot and state Congress chief Govind Singh Dotasra on Monday, saying he had engagements in Shahpur (Jaipur) and Khetri (Jhunjhunu) on the day.

The one-to-one dialogue with the MLAs of Ajmer and Jodhpur divisions was held on Monday in Jaipur.

Pilot is the MLA from Tonk, which comes under Ajmer division.

He held a day-long fast in Jaipur, alleging inaction by the Gehlot government on complaints of alleged corruption during the previous Vasundhara Raje dispensation.

The Congress central leadership had asked him to reconsider his stand and even termed his move "anti-party activity" at a time when the party is gearing up for year-end assembly polls.

Pilot, who has been engaged in a leadership tussle with Gehlot, renewed his demand on Monday, saying, "It's been a week now but no action has been taken".

On Wednesday, Randhawa said Pilot could have spoken about corruption during the debate on the governor's address during the Budget Session.

"I am looking minutely at each and everything. I am seeing those who are working for Congress and those who are creating problems for Congress, I am also seeing those who are working for the party without any position," he added.

Pilot has said that the Congress raised the issue of corruption when the party was in opposition during the BJP rule from 2013 to 2018 and promised in the 2018 assembly polls that action would be taken in the matter if the party forms the government in Rajasthan.

However, no action was taken in over four years of the Congress government, he added.