Rajasthan Political Crisis: Sachin Pilot claims to have support of 18 MLAs.
Sachin Pilot, baby face - that's the new dart hurled by the 42-year-old's former boss Ashok Gehlot today as he accused Mr Pilot of betrayal. "He was conspiring with the BJP for the last six months to bring down the government," Mr Gehlot said. "Nobody used to believe me when I talked of this conspiracy... Nobody knew that a person with such innocent face will do such a thing," he added. The Chief Minister also used "nikkama", salty for "useless" or "incompetent" to describe his rival.
Earlier today, Abhishek Manu Singhvi argued in the Rajasthan High Court that rebel Sachin Pilot and other rebel MLAs cannot go to court against disqualification notices before the Speaker takes a call on them. Mr Singhvi, representing Rajasthan Speaker CP Joshi, also challenged the rebels' argument that skipping two meetings did not mean they were quitting the party.
Meanwhile, Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat has been served a notice by the Special Operations Group of the Rajasthan Police in an investigation into allegations of a conspiracy to pull down the Rajasthan government. Mr Shekhawat, a senior BJP leader, has denied the allegations.
On Sunday, a team of Rajasthan Police's Special Operation Group (SOG) -- which is investigating the allegations of horse-trading to bring down the Ashok Gehlot government -- again went to the resort in Haryana hosting rebel MLAs supporting Sachin Pilot, but returned empty-handed within 10 minutes as the hotel-management did not allow them to enter and asked them to come in the morning.
This was the second time in three days that the Rajasthan Police made a beeline for a resort where the MLAs are said to be staying. On Friday evening, they had to return empty-handed from the ITC Bharat Grand. Later, they said the Haryana Police did not cooperate with them.
The Special Operations Group of the Rajasthan Police is investigating the allegations of horse-trading to bring down the Ashok Gehlot government. The police said they had gone to get a voice sample of Bhanwar Lal Sharma on Friday. The Congress had alleged that the rebel MLA has been caught on tape discussing bribes from the BJP.
Sachin Pilot and 18 rebel MLAs supporting him have been staying at two resorts in Manesar since he openly rebelled against his party and was seen as a threat to the Ashok Gehlot government last week.
The Congress has stripped Mr Pilot of the posts he held within the party and the government, but there have been offers of rapprochement.
Here are the Live Updates on Rajasthan Political Crisis:
Sachin Pilot Achieves What Many Thought Rare: Quick Sonia Gandhi DecisionThe pace at which Sonia Gandhi moved to deliver Sachin Pilot's political reckoning has displayed a new style of leadership for the 73-year-old president of the Congress party. While those who know her well are not used to her making quick decisions, a top leader who has done time as an interlocutor with Mr Pilot said, "There was an attempt to topple a government. How can you (she) delay the decision?"
Read here Omar Abdullah Threatens To Sue Over Congress Leader Bhupesh Baghel's Sachin Pilot Dig National Conference leader Omar Abdullah today threatened legal action against Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel for implying that Congress rebel Sachin Pilot's moves were linked to he and his father being released from detention in Kashmir earlier this year.
Read here Rajasthan High Court to resume hearing in the Sachin Pilot Case tomorrow at 10.30 AM. Mukul Rohatgi will argue for Mr Pilot tomorrow.
Party Member Free To Defy Whip Direction Outside House: Harish Salve Tells High Court
"A party member is free to defy the party whip direction outside the house. Kihoto nowhere says that defying party whip outside house amounts to defection. Intra-party dissent, however shrill it may be, until the moment it goes to the extent of supporting another party, cannot be a ground to even start disqualification proceedings under 10th schedule," Harish Salve tells Rajasthan High Court.
"If a group of MLAs says that the party president is incompetent, and the party president complains to the Speaker that they have defected, and the Speaker issues notice for disqualification, can they not approach the Court against it?" Harish Salve in court.
"Even if the complaint's allegations are assumed to be true, they will only constitute a case of inner party dissent. No case under 10th schedule. Issuing disqualification notice for inner party dissent is a violation of freedom of speech of the legislator," Harish Salve tells Rajasthan High Court
"Saddened But Not Surprised": Sachin Pilot Denies Accusations Of Bribribing MLAs"I am saddened but not surprised to be at the receiving end of such baseless and vexatious allegations being leveled against me. This is done solely to malign me and to stifle the legitimate concerns that I had raised against the party leadership of the state, as a member and MLA of the Congress. This attempt further aims at defaming me and attacks my credibility. The narrative is being redirected to avoid addressing the main issue. I will be taking appropriate and strictest possible legal action against the MLA who was made to make these accusations. I am sure more such concocted allegations will be thrown at me to cause aspersions on my public image. But I shall be unfettered and remain firm in my beliefs and convictions,"
Sachin Pilot responds to accusations of bribing MLAs.
Congress MLA Giriraj Singh Malinga, who had switched over from BSP, earlier alleged he was offered Rs 35 lakh by Sachin Pilot to join BJP but he refused.
"Mere act on inner party indiscipline cannot be regarded as giving up of party membership. Kihoto judgment had addressed the issue of inner-party protest. Protesting against the party while staying within the party cannot be regarded as giving up party membership," Harish Salve tells the Rajasthan High Court.
Rajasthan Speaker has already made up his mind without hearing the petitioners, Harish Salve argues for Sachin Pilot in court.
Rajasthan High Court resumes hearing after a break. Harish Salve begins argument for Sachin Pilot
Rajasthan Crisis: Ashok Gehlot New Put-Down Of Sachin Pilot: Deceit By "Baby Face"Sachin Pilot, baby face - that's the new dart hurled by the 42-year-old's former boss Ashok Gehlot today as he accused Mr Pilot of betrayal. "He was conspiring with the BJP for the last six months to bring down the government," Mr Gehlot said. "Nobody used to believe me when I talked of this conspiracy... Nobody knew that a person with such innocent face will do such a thing," he added. The Chief Minister also used "
nikkama", salty for "useless" or "incompetent" to describe his rival.
What Abhishek Manu Singhvi said in case against rebels
Sachin Pilot and other rebel MLAs cannot go to court against disqualification notices prematurely, before any decision by the Speaker, Abhishek Manu Singhvi argued in the Rajasthan High Court today. Mr Singhvi, representing Rajasthan Speaker CP Joshi, also challenged the rebels' argument that skipping two meetings did not mean they were quitting the party.
Team Pilot, which has 19 members, has argued in its petition before the High Court that disqualification notices cannot be served by the Rajasthan Speaker when the assembly is not in session. The rebels have also contested a constitutional rule that disqualifies MLAs if they "voluntarily" give up the membership of the party that they represent. (Read full story
here)
Ashok Gehlot vs Sachin Pilot: How numbers stack up
The Congress government has only a narrow lead if rebel Sachin Pilot teams up with the BJP to challenge its rule. A difference of only five makes team Pilot's legal challenge to disqualification notices even more significant.
If Sachin Pilot and 18 other rebel MLAs win the case, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot can be in some trouble. If they stand disqualified, the majority mark will come down.
Mr Gehlot claims the support of 102 MLAs in the 200-member assembly - just one more than the majority mark. Two MLAs of the regional Bhartiya Tribal Party (BTP) made a big difference in the close race by coming out in the Chief Minister's support last week. (Read full story
here)
Rajasthan police sends notice to Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat
The Special Operations Group (SOG) of Rajasthan Police has sent a notice to Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, who has been accused of along with rebel Congress MLA Bhanwar Lal Sharma of conspiring to pull down its government in Rajasthan. The Congress alleged that investigations have revealed rebel MLAs were plotting with the BJP against the Ashok Gehlot government.
Rajasthan: Sachin Pilot's Big Court Test Today
Sachin Pilot and 18 other rebel Congress MLAs may find out today whether they can be disqualified from the Rajasthan assembly, where the Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government could go for a test of strength this week. The Rajasthan High Court is hearing the rebels' challenge to a disqualification notice for "defying the party". Last week, the Congress had told the court that no action would be taken against the rebels till Tuesday, until there was a decision. Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's meeting with Governor Kalraj Mishra on Saturday spurred talk of an assembly session and a possible vote this week."
Rajasthan high court resumes hearing, Abhishek Manu Singhvi begins argument
Rajasthan High Court has resumed hearing on the petitions by Sachin Pilot and 18 other rebel Congress legislators against the disqualification notices served on them by state assembly Speaker CP Joshi. Senior lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi, who is representing the Speaker, has begun his argument. Senior counsel Harish Salve and Mukul Rohtagi, representing Pilot and other MLAs, have completed their side of arguments.
Rajasthan high court will resume hearing on Camp Pilot plea at 10 AM
Rajasthan High Court will today resume hearing on the petitions by Sachin Pilot and 18 other rebel Congress legislators against the disqualification notices served on them by state assembly Speaker CP Joshi. The hearing on a writ petition filed by the rebel MLAs will resume at 10 AM
On Friday, the high court had directed that no action be taken against Camp Pilot until Tuesday and had deferred the hearing of their plea challenging the state assembly speaker's disqualification notices.
Rajasthan cops visited Haryana resort hosting rebel MLAs for second time on Sunday
A team of Rajasthan Police went to a resort in Haryana's Manesar on Sunday evening, which is apparently hosting some of the MLAs supporting Sachin Pilot, the leader at the heart of the crisis in the Rajasthan Congress. But the gates of the Best Western Resort did not open and the police team was seen leaving after waiting for nearly 20 minutes.
This was the second time in three days that the Rajasthan Police made a beeline for a resort where the MLAs are said to be staying. On Friday evening, they had to return empty-handed from the ITC Bharat Grand. Later, they said the Haryana Police did not cooperate with them.
The Special Operations Group of the Rajasthan Police - which is investigating the allegations of horse-trading to bring down the Ashok Gehlot government - said they had gone to get a voice sample of Bhanwar Lal Sharma on Friday. The Congress had alleged that the rebel MLA has been caught on tape discussing bribes from the BJP. (Read full story
here)
For all the updates on yesterday's developments, click
here