JAIPUR: Sirohi MLA Sanyam Lodha, who is an advisor to Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot, created a flutter in the Rajasthan Assembly on Wednesday after he took on Urban Development and Housing minister Shanti Dhariwal who is regarded as number two in the state cabinet.
The independent MLA, who extends outside support to the Congress government, alleged that Dhariwal was guilty of ‘colluding’ with senior BJP leader Vasundhara Raje and wasn’t acting against her over some dubious land deals executed during her tenure as the CM. He also accused the state government of not acting against Raje for failing to vacate her official house to which she was no longer entitled.
“You are showing such greatness to her that despite the order of the Supreme Court, you got the former chief minister’s government bungalow allotted from the Assembly pool. You did this despite Vasundhara Raje wanting to put you in jail during her term as CM and she even wanted to implicate you forcefully. You did not cancel the wrongly allotted land of the then CM Raje in four and a half years,” he said.
Lodha went on to remark that between 2013 and 2018, Congress leaders had made allegations about corruption in the Raje government, and even the PWD’s office in Sirohi was surrendered by the Collector to the district council, which allotted 10 per cent of that valuable land worth Rs 50 crore to the BJP for an office. A Congress councillor and the Leader of the Opposition had moved the High Court on this issue.
Political circles are now abuzz about a Gehlot aide targeting the government in such a sharp manner.