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:
The 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
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
"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.
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.
#WATCH Sachin Pilot ne jis roop mein khel khela vo bahut durbhagyapurna hai. Kisiko yakeen nahi hota ki yeh vyakti aisa kar sakta hai...maasoom chehra, Hindi English par achchi command aur pure desh ki media ko impress kar rakha hai: Rajasthan CM pic.twitter.com/gv51qOe66n
- ANI (@ANI) July 20, 2020
Rajasthan Crisis: Abhishek Singhvi, Repping Team Ashok Gehlot, Says Not A Robot Or A Post OfficeAs Sachin Pilot vs his long-time adversary Ashok Gehlot picked up pace in court today, the judges were informed by top lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi, "I am not a robot or a post office."
Rajasthan: Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat Served Notice On Rajasthan Sting, Check AuthenticityUnion minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat has been asked to appear for questioning in an investigation into allegations of a conspiracy to pull down the Rajasthan government. Mr Shekhawat, a senior BJP leader, has denied the allegations."
Special Operations Group (SOG) of #Rajasthan Police has sent a notice through my personal secretary. In the notice, they have asked me to record my statement and voice sample: Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat (file pic) pic.twitter.com/xpUwf1owjm
- ANI (@ANI) July 20, 2020
Rajasthan: Notice To Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat For Questioning In Rajasthan 'Horse-Trading' ProbeUnion minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat has been asked to appear for questioning in an investigation into allegations of a conspiracy to pull down the Rajasthan government. Mr Shekhawat, a senior BJP leader, has denied the allegations."
#RajasthanPoliticalCrisis | Rajasthan High Court to decide on Pilot camp's appeal, @harsha_ndtv brings in the latest pic.twitter.com/ghhBgXiHa8
- NDTV (@ndtv) July 20, 2020
Rajasthan: Sachin Pilot's Big Court Test Today
Prime Minister At 45 By Joining BJP: Congress Leader Margaret Alva's Swipe At Sachin Pilot
