Gandhi Family Is Congress Pivot, Keeps Party United: Ashok Gehlot

Ashok Gehlot accused BJP of deploying "army of trolls" to malign Rahul Gandhi's image

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Tuesday called the Gandhi family the pivot of the Congress and said it held the party together. 

Addressing a meeting of Congress workers, he accused the BJP of deploying a paid "army of trolls" on social media to malign the image of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.

"This army has been after Rahul Gandhi for the past eight or nine years. Whatnot has been said about him on social media by their trolls' army to malign his image," the Congress leader said, alleging that the BJP has paid thousands of people for this.

He said there is a reason why the Gandhi family is considered the "pivot" of the party. "If this family is there, the Congress will remain united," he said. 

"They have the capability of taking everyone along - all castes, all religions and people speaking every language." 

Mr Gehlot was accompanied by Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chief Govind Singh Dotasra and the AICC in-charge for Rajasthan Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa in the Jodhpur trip.

The party is protesting Rahul Gandhi's disqualification from the Lok Sabha following his conviction by a Gujarat court over a remark on the Modi surname.

The CM repeated his allegation that Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat was involved in the Sanjeevani Credit Cooperative Society scam that defrauded a large number of investors.

The minister has earlier denied the allegations and reported the "defamation attempt" to the police in Delhi.

Mr Gehlot charged that democracy is at risk under the Bharatiya Janata Party government at the Centre.

"I see in them arrogance and autocracy. The way they conspired to target Rahul Gandhi shows that they were scared of his shining image globally after the Bharat Jodo Yatra," he claimed.

Mr Gehlot accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of evading questions in Parliament on the Adani Group, and said this deepened "suspicion" about his relationship with the tycoon.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)