Jaipur: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, at another meeting of the Congress legislature party today to keep his flock together, reminded them that the eyes of the "entire country" are on them. Invoking the almighty, the Chief Minister who has been struggling to retain his government for over a week, said, "The truth is god and the god is truth and the truth is with us".
"The entire country is watching the way you are fighting. Your respect has increased manifold. It's not something ordinary," Mr Gehlot told the MLAs at Jaipur's Fairmont Hotel, where they have been living for more than a week.
"Neither Congress nor BJP want Assembly to be dissolved and election to take place," he added.
Mr Gehlot also told the MLAs that all of them have phones and "There's no pressure on anyone".
Last week an MLA of the regional Bharatiya Tribal Party claimed that they were forcibly kept at the hotel and he had managed to escape. The party eventually sided with the government.
Mr Gehlot had moved his flock to the hotel soon after Mr Pilot's open rebellion a week ago.
Over the weekend, photos and videos from the hotel showing the MLAs playing antakshari, cooking and watching movies triggered BJP allegations that they were just having a good time when the state was struggling to get the better of coronavirus.
Mr Gehlot's 42-year-old Deputy, who unleashed a storm after he came to Delhi and made his way to BJP-ruled Haryana with 18 MLAs, had refused to attend two legislature party meetings. Mr Pilot was eventually dropped from his posts in the party and the government and notices were issued to disqualify them from the state assembly.
Mr Pilot has taken the government to court, which will deliver its judgment on Friday.
Mr Gehlot, meanwhile, has claimed he has evidence of Mr Pilot's involvement in BJP horse-trading to pull down his government.