Rajasthan CM Counters Sachin Pilot's Demand For Probe Against Corruption

Dismissing claims of 'anti-party activity', Sachin Pilot said that his fast would accelerate the movement against corruption and financial irregularities.

Pic Credit: File Photo

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, on Wednesday, dismissed Congress leader Sachin Pilot's charge of government inaction in corruption cases, citing several raids by the Rajasthan Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB). Gehlot said that his government's focus was on easing inflation and that he would not be distracted from it. "Our goal is to reduce inflation. Apart from this, we do not and will not pay attention to anything else," Gehlot said as quoted by ANI.

#WATCH | Rajasthan: Our goal is to reduce inflation. Apart from this, we do not and will not pay attention to anything else: Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot on the question raised by Sachin Pilot and other leaders in Jaipur pic.twitter.com/Dfkec3WoRT

— ANI MP/CG/Rajasthan (@ANI_MP_CG_RJ) April 12, 2023

The Congress' in-charge of Rajasthan, Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, met with party chief Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday, following Rajasthan's Former Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot's day-long fast in Jaipur demanding action against alleged corruption during the previous Vasundhara Raje-led BJP government in Rajasthan. Randhawa and Kharge held a half-hour meeting at Kharge's residence in Delhi.

Although Pilot was also in the capital, there were no scheduled meetings with senior leaders. Randhawa had earlier objected to Pilot's fast, stating that it was anti-party activity against the sitting government, but the party remained silent on the issue as per a PTI report.

Pilot claimed that his fast would accelerate the movement against corruption and financial irregularities, and he had written two letters to Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on this issue last year but received no response. 

Sachin Pilot observed a day-long fast in Jaipur on Tuesday, in order to urge the Gehlot government to probe corruption allegations during the previous BJP government in the state under Vasundhara Raje. He fasted from 11 am to 4 pm.  Pilot argued that his fast was in line with the Congress party's stand against corruption, citing Rahul Gandhi's call for a probe into the alleged financial irregularities by the Adani Group.