BJP Leaders React To NDTV's Ashok Gehlot Interview

The BJP today lashed out at Ashok Gehlot after his sensational interview to NDTV, in which he described Sachin Pilot as a gaddar (traitor) and accused the BJP of working with him and handing out cash to rebel Congress MLAs in an attempt to bring down the Congress government.

"These are baseless political allegations. Even a blind man will not accept these allegations. Ashok Gehlot is simply venting his frustration. BJP has nothing to do with Sachin Pilot," said Rajasthan BJP chief Satish Poonia, who was filmed watching the interview.

"This has become a film that should be called gaddar kaun (who's the traitor). Such a big party has not figured out yet who should be punished. I can also say how many illegal things Gehlot did for support. These are political allegations, a sort of face-saving by Mr Gehlot. Why should BJP leaders meet their MLAs?" Mr Poonia said, denying any collaboration with Mr Pilot to bring down the Congress government in Rajasthan.

Mr Gehlot told NDTV that in 2020, when Sachin Pilot revolted and camped for days in Delhi with 19 MLAs, he met with two senior union ministers. "Amit Shah and Dharmendra Pradhan were also involved in it. All had a meeting in Delhi," he said, without backing his claim, alleging that among MLAs supporting Mr Pilot, "some got 5 crores, some 10. In fact, the money was picked up from the BJP office in Delhi."

BJP leader Rajyavardhan Rathore, sharing an excerpt of the NDTV interview, said Mr Gehlot was accusing the BJP of something the Congress had mastered.

"By the way, the Congress party was split by Motilal Nehru as well as by Indira Gandhi. Now Gehlot ji is calling Pilot a traitor by making similar allegations! This has been the practice of the Congress, they were guilty of the same kind of betrayal," Mr Rathore tweeted.