JAIPUR: On the last day of campaigning in Rajasthan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tried to woo the Gujjar votes in a big way. He claimed that Sachin Pilot, who comes from the Gujjar community, was ignored by the Congress top brass, which was an insult to the community.
He expressed his sympathies for Sachin Pilot, saying that Congress’ royal family, implying the Gandhis, had sidelined the Gujjar son who is trying to make his space in politics. He argued that the royal family of the Gandhis had deliberately removed Sachin “like a fly from milk.” The Gujjar votes are critical in nearly 40 seats of eastern Rajasthan where the BJP had performed poorly in the last election and many believe that it is the Gujjar votes in the eastern zone of the state that could play a major role in the entire verdict of Rajasthan.
Addressing a rally in Rajsamand, the PM said, “A Gujjar son struggles to make his space 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, adding that the Congress has been “insulting” Gujjars in the past. The PM also slammed CM Gehlot for his barbs against Sachin Pilot, who was called a ‘nikamma’ (incompetent), ‘nakara’ (useless) and ‘gaddar’ (traitor) for his revolt of 2020.
Prime Minister Modi had on November 22 accused the Congress of punishing Sachin Pilot after meting out the same treatment to his father Rajesh Pilot, saying anyone who speaks the truth in the party is driven out of politics. Pilot is a prominent Gujjar leader and his community had voted the Congress into power from eastern Rajasthan in the 2018 elections.
Sachin Pilot, who lost his post as state Congress chief and deputy CM for rebelling against Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot in July 2020, has hit back at the Prime Minister after he made similar remarks on Wednesday.
The PM also slammed the Congress for not giving any space on posters and hoardings to its party chief Mallikarjun Kharge, which he said was an insult to Kharge who comes from a Dalit family. Slamming Congress for corruption in defence deals, the PM also dug out the Bofors scam and various other defence deals to claim that Congress is the “mother of corruption” in the country. He said that Rajasthan has never seen a more “anti-women” government.