BJP ally Beniwal says Raje's remarks have no meaning, she didn't order probe against Gehlot during her tenure
Jul 18, 2020
By Pragya Kaushika
New Delhi [India], July 18 : Even as BJP leader Vasundhara Raje on Saturday made her first public remarks about the political crisis faced by Congress government in Rajasthan which has been hogging the headlines for over a week, BJP's ally Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP) launched another attack on her and accused her of aiding Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot.
"These remarks have no meaning and she should have acted against Ashok Gehlot when she was the chief minister of the state. If she had initiated a timely probe against him, Gehlot would have been in jail today," RLP National Convenor Hanuman Beniwal said.
Speaking to ANI, Beniwal, MP, said he maintains that Raje had been "aiding" Gehlot in retaining power in the state.
"I stand by my statement that she has been aiding Gehlot. I am an alliance partner in central NDA, but I am not talking without proof on this. We want the Gehlot government to fall. I am with Sachin pilot," Beniwal said. 
Beniwal said he also stands by his earlier remarks regarding Vasundhara Raje in which he had stated that she was "trying to save" Gehlot government.
"Mujhe peeda hui to bol dia maine. To kya galat kiya? (I felt pained by lack of response by Raje. What wrong have I done)" he added.
Raje today issued a statement regarding the ongoing political upheaval within the Congress in Rajasthan.
"This is unfortunate that people of the state are paying the price for the internal fight in Congress. Instead of focusing on issues like COVID-19, attack by locust swarms, crimes against women and shortfall of electricity supply the state Congress is trying to blame the BJP for its internal troubles. They should think about the people of the state," she said.
Raje has so fare adopted a "wait and watch" stance over developments in the state even as some other state BJP leaders have commented on the crisis faced by Congress after simmering differences between Sachin Pilot and Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot came out in the open.
Sachin Pilot was on July 14 sacked from the posts of Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister and state PCC president.
Gehlot has blamed the BJP for attempting to destabilise the state government by poaching MLAs.
A controversy had broken out after Rajasthan Special Operation Group (SOG) sent a notice to Pilot to record his statement in the case registered by it over alleged poaching of Congress MLAs in the state. The state Congress has alleged involvement of union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in the conspiracy to topple the state government and has lodged FIRs.
