"Congress should refrain from such comments...": BJP's OP Mathur on remarks over cabinet expansion

Jaipur (Rajasthan) [India], December 31 : Following Congress's jibe at Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the Rajasthan cabinet expansion, BJP's Chhattisgarh in-charge Om Prakash Mathur on Sunday said that the grand old party should refrain from such comments.
After Surendra Pal Singh, who is also a BJP candidate for the upcoming adjourned poll in Karanpur Assembly was sworn in as Minister of State (MoS) with independent charge, Congress targetted the BJP claiming that it was a violation of the code of conduct.
The elections in Karanpur, could not be held due to the death of Congress candidate Gurmeet Singh Koonar. It is scheduled to be held on January 5.
"Congress should refrain from such comments. Yesterday, our law minister cleared out that any person can be a part of the cabinet for the first six months. It would be better if Congress questions itself on why it has been hitting the low for the past 15-20 years," Mathur said while speaking to ANI.
"Congress, which calls itself the largest and the oldest party, is now on the verge of disintegration. The newly formed INDIA bloc does not have unity among itself," he added.
Heaping praise on the BJP, Om Prakash Mathur said, "Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been relying on Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Prayas, and Sabka Vishwas. We consistently give chances to new faces. It does not belong to a single person. It is not restricted to a particular family, caste or area. The cabinet expansion was done keeping in view caste and regional equations."
Speaking on the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, he said, "The BJP will ensure victory on all the 25 Lok Sabha seats in Rajasthan. It will gain more seats in the coming polls than it did in 2019. The party is working to ensure that the welfare schemes reach last-mile citizens."
A total of 22 ministers were inducted in the Rajasthan government at a swearing-in ceremony on Saturday with BJP putting special emphasis on tuning a fine balance in the caste equation and maintaining due weightage to both old and new faces in the cabinet. After the oath-taking ceremony, Rajasthan BJP Chief CP Joshi said that the newly formed cabinet in the State reflects people of all age groups and classes from across the state.
A total of 11 ministers have been appointed from the OBC category in the Bhajanlal Sharma-led Rajasthan government which gives a hint about the strategies of the BJP ahead of the ensuing Lok Sabha polls.
Three ministers from Scheduled Tribe (ST) category including former MP Kirodi Lal Meena have been appointed whereas two ministers have been inducted from Scheduled Castes (SC) category.
Surendra Pal Singh, who is also a BJP candidate for the upcoming adjourned poll in the Karanpur Assembly, was also sworn in as Minister of State (MoS) with independent charge.
Speaking on his appointment, Surendra Pal Singh said, "Party by appointing me as minister has honoured the Sikh society. The party takes forward every section of the and Sikhs are also included in this. Voters of Karanpur are very understanding, I will win the elections for sure."
Meanwhile, Rajasthan former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot targeted the BJP over the appointment of Surendra Pal Singh.
"Despite the code of conduct being in effect for the voting to be held on January 5 in Srikaranpur, making the BJP candidate a minister from there is a clear violation of the code of conduct and an attempt to influence the voters there. The Election Commission should take cognizance of this and take immediate action, " Gehlot said in a post on 'X'.
"Taking such unconstitutional steps is unfortunate in a democracy. This shows the arrogance of the BJP high command," he added.