JAIPUR: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot Wednesday claimed that his party colleague Sachin Pilot had called him to get a ministerial berth in the UPA-II government, but that he had already recommended his name to be included as a Central minister.
The senior Congress leader made this disclosure while addressing a delegation of representative of Gurjar people at his residence on Wednesday evening.
He said that during the previous BJP government in Rajasthan, the state police had opened fire on Gurjars agitating for their demand of reservation, and several of the protesters were killed.
He said that the agitation had also created a rift between the Gurjar and the Meena communities and he wanted to restore harmony between the two after the Congress government came to power.
When the Congress won the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, Gehlot said, he had recommended the names of four MPs including Sachin Pilot to be inducted as Union minister from Rajasthan.
"I proposed the name of Namonarain Meena, who was a union minister in UPA-1. Then I proposed the name of Sachin Pilot so that Gurjar people could feel good that their man has become a minister," he said.
He said that he also proposed the name of CP Joshi, a Brahmin by caste, and a Jat MP.
"I recommended four persons. Sachin Pilot called me to get help in becoming a minister. I told him that 'you are saying this today but I have already proposed your name' (to the centre)," he said.
"I have been a union minister thrice, PCC president thrice and was the chief minister for the second term (at that time). It was not decent for me to say that I had helped but when he called me, then I said that I have already spoken (to make Pilot a minister)," he said.
Pilot, who was elected as the MP from Ajmer in 2009, was the union minister of state and Gehlot was the chief minister of Rajasthan.
After Gehlot became the CM for a third time in 2018, Pilot was made his deputy but he was sacked as deputy CM and PCC president in 2020 for revolting against Gehlot.