JAIPUR: Indian National Congress Party leader Ashok Gehlot on Monday termed party leaders who quit the party ahead of the Lok Sabha elections as “nakara” and “nikama”, adding that such people are still with the party.
Though the former Rajasthan Chief Minister did not name anyone, his remarks were reminiscent of the controversy when he had used a word meaning “worthless” to describe Sachin Pilot, who has remained in the organisation despite rebelling against his leadership.
Gehlot and the former deputy chief minister kept their differences under wraps ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.
The former prime minister made the remarks when asked by journalists whether Congress leaders who left the party to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the elections should be reinstated.
Gehlot said there were traitors and backstabbers lurking within the party as well and asked the young party members to be an asset and not a liability.
He slammed leaders of the Indian National Congress who left the party for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the elections, calling them “opportunists,” “worthless” and “traitors.”
He described those who left the party to join the BJP as “opportunists” and a “useless asset”.
“This is opportunism. ‘Nikama’, ‘Nakara’, ‘Gaddal’ – whatever words you use, they are brothers and sisters. These are used by such people. Those who betray are traitors,” he told reporters at the PCC office here.
He said the time of crisis was to work for the Congress Party but after five years in power, they quit the party.
Notably, several senior party leaders, including three former ministers — Mahendrajeet Singh Malviya, Lal Chand Kataria and Rajendra Yadav — have joined the BJP ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.
Earlier, Gehlot had used these words against party chief Sachin Pilot during the 2020 political crisis, when he was the chief minister and Pilot was his deputy.
Gehlot said he and other leaders worked for the Indian National Congress during the Indira Gandhi era when the party was in crisis and suffered a humiliating defeat. All these leaders held various positions in power for 40-42 years, including as central ministers, general secretary of the Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, president of the Communist Party of India and as state chief ministers.
“It is a hallmark of the Indian National Congress and the Gandhi family that those who help in times of crisis need not ask for anything,” he said.
“Those who betray and defect will remain in the party. I would like to say to those people too, tomorrow is yours,” he said, without naming anyone.The president called for actions that would make Congress an asset, not a liability, over the next 15 to 20 years.
Gehlot said he wanted all the party workers and leaders to succeed. “I want all the workers and leaders to succeed. If they succeed, Congress will be stronger. They should do such work that builds image and trust among the party, society and people,” he said.
Gehlot also said he had never tried to defeat the party’s candidate. “If the party’s candidate wins, the funds will go to Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi and the Indian National Congress,” he said.
Asked about Rajasthan Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Avinash Gehlot’s statement that reservations given to 14 Muslim castes under the OBC category in Rajasthan would be reviewed, the minister said reservations to backward Muslim castes were given on the basis of the recommendations of the OBC Commission.
The minister had said a few days ago that the Congress had given OBC reservation to Muslim castes as part of its appeasement policy between 1997 and 2013 and that it would be reviewed.
He targeted the Bhajanlal Sharma government in the state and said the administration was being run remotely from Delhi.
“A chief minister needs good advisors. If he is running the post remotely from Delhi, he will not last long. If things do not go well, he will be sacked,” he said.
He sharply criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s election campaign comments, saying, “No one can imagine that the Prime Minister would make such a statement. The whole world is watching the ongoing elections in India.”
“The PM has spoken about ‘mangalsutra’, ‘property’, ‘buffalo’ and ‘mujra’ during the election campaign. The PM’s position belongs to the country. But the type of speech he gives will also be a major reason for their (BJP’s) defeat,” he said.
Gehlot also said the Congress party would perform well in Rajasthan and it would not be a surprise if the Indian Union formed the government at the Centre.
“In this election, Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge have surrounded the BJP and ensured that its leaders cannot contest the elections,” he added.
Published May 27, 2024 13:38 IST
