Congress insulting Gurjars in Rajasthan: PM Modi

JAIPUR: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said a Gurjar's son who gave his life to the Congress was removed like a fly in milk after the party came to power in Rajasthan, in an apparent reference to Sachin Pilot and his father, late Rajesh Pilot.

Sachin Pilot, who lost his posts of state Congress chief as well as deputy chief minister for rebelling against Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, had hit back at Modi on Wednesday after the prime minister made similar remarks.

Addressing a poll rally in Rajsamand, Modi said, "A Gurjar's son struggles to make his place in politics, gives his life to the party and after coming to power, the royal family removes him like a fly in milk." "They did the same with late Rajesh Pilot and are doing the same with his son," he said, alleging that the Congress is "insulting" Gurjars now and had insulted the community in the past too.

Modi had accused the Congress on Wednesday of punishing Sachin Pilot by meting out the same treatment to him as was done to his father, saying anyone who speaks the truth in the grand old party is shunted out of politics and suggesting that Rajesh Pilot lost favour with the Congress leadership after he contested against Sitaram Kesri for the party president's post in 1997.

Sachin Pilot has been involved in a power tussle with Gehlot and the prime minister has been referring to it frequently during campaigning in the poll-bound state.

Reacting to Modi's comments, Pilot said there is no need for anyone other than his party and the people to worry about him.

He said his father was a dedicated Congressman throughout his life and the prime minister's statements were far from the truth and aimed at diverting people's attention.

Pilot is a Gurjar leader and the community had voted the Congress to power from eastern Rajasthan in 2018.

On the reaction of Congress leaders to his statement, Modi on Thursday said, "The Congress is not answering my real questions. It is lying with full force that the royal family of the Congress never insulted Rajesh Pilot. Answer the questions I raised." He wondered how can the Congress deny that Sachin Pilot was abused with words, such as "gaddar" (traitor), and "nakara" and "nikamma" (worthless).

Modi said he had not seen the photo of Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge on the party's posters during his road show in Jaipur and alleged that the grand old party does not care about Dalits.

"On the Congress posters, Gehlotji is visible, people from the royal family are visible, but our Khargeji is not visible. Should the Congress behave like this with the son of a Dalit mother?" he asked the gathering.

Slamming the Congress, the prime minister said, "Rajasthan has never seen a more anti-women government than this. Therefore, the people of the state have resolved to overthrow the Congress government." He alleged that "be it water, the sky or land, the claws of the Congress do only one thing -- loot".

Modi also said if the BJP is voted to power in the desert state, it will not stop the good work of the current government.

"When the Congress government was formed here five years ago, it banned all the good schemes of the (previous) BJP government. The BJP government that will be formed here on December 3 will not indulge in anti-people work like the Congress.

"For us, public welfare is supreme. Whoever is in the government, if it has done public welfare work in true sense and there is something good in it, if it is useful for the country, then Modi is in favour of taking things forward. He does not work out of animosity and hence, whatever good happens in Rajasthan will also be taken forward. This is my assurance to you. But I will close the windows of corruption," he said.

The prime minister said where the hope from the Congress ends, Modi's guarantee begins.

He accused the Congress of sending Rajasthan on top in the country in terms of riots and said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will make the state a leader in tourism.

"The Congress made Rajasthan number one in crime. The BJP will make Rajasthan a leader in investments. The Congress made Rajasthan number one in corruption, the BJP will make Rajasthan a leader in industry," Modi said.

He asserted that the BJP is going to form its governments in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.

The 200-member Rajasthan Assembly will go to polls on Saturday and the results will be declared on December 3, along with the outcome of the Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana and Mizoram Assembly elections.