Amid All-Out Attack By Sacked Minister, Ashok Gehlot Hits Out At PM Modi

Politics over the horrific Manipur video and crimes against women continued to heat up today, with Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot hitting out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and saying that his statements have hurt the self-respect of the people of his state. 

Mr Gehlot's comments came minutes after his own party's MLA, who was sacked as a minister yesterday, stepped up his attack on the Rajasthan government and said the chief minister should hand over the home portfolio to someone who is capable. 

Union Minister Anurag Thakur also used the Congress MLA's comments to lash out at Mr Gehlot and the Congress brass, saying they had sacked a minister for speaking up but are protecting another minister who had said that Rajasthan is a state of men. 

At a press conference today, Mr Gehlot said Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh has admitted that over 100 incidents of rape have taken place in his state, and reports are emerging of nearly 4,000 FIRs being lodged. 

"The Prime Minister has hurt the sentiments of the people of Rajasthan with the way he behaved and the way he expressed his grief, saying he wants to tell the chief ministers of Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Manipur to look after law and order in their states," the chief minister said.

"What is not happening in Manipur? The Prime Minister says 140 crore people of India have to hang their heads in shame. That is not the case. They are actually upset with your government's deeds, your failures and your irresponsibility. The Home Minister visited the state once and murders and rapes have happened since. But the Prime Minister spoke on Manipur only for a few seconds, almost as a formality," he added.

Mr Gehlot said even if the PM did not visit the state himself, he could have held meetings in the PMO and taken stock of the situation.

"He is visiting various states for campaigning. It is a matter of pride for us that the Prime Minister is travelling to various countries, but Manipur is a part of our country. Manipur has a BJP government. Imagine what he would have said if it was a Congress-ruled state," the chief minister said. 

Minutes before his press conference, however, Mr Gehlot found himself at the receiving end of a sharp attack from Congress MLA Rajendra Singh Gudha, whom he had sacked as a minister yesterday. 

Mr Gudha, who had interjected during a discussion on Manipur in the Rajasthan assembly to point out his own government's failures in controlling crimes against women, said today that the chief minister should hand over the home portfolio to someone who is capable.

Stating that he will demand answers from Mr Gehlot "one-to-one" in the Assembly. Mr Gudha said, "The chief minister does not come to the House, does not give answers. He is sitting with bandages on his feet. He should hand over the home ministry to someone who is capable. There is anarchy in the state and Mr Gehlot has lost credibility,"

"I want to tell Mr Gehlot that our daughters are not safe and we need to work on this, but the police are busy collecting money. I have raised these issues in cabinet meetings as well. I will keep talking whether they sack me as a minister or jail me. Women are not safe in our state and the data shows this," the former minister said.

Mr Gudha was backing Mr Gehlot in 2020, at the peak of the chief minister's feud with his former deputy Sachin Pilot, but had switched camps last year. 

Speaking before the start of the monsoon session of Parliament on Thursday, Prime Minister Modi had said, "I appeal to all Chief Ministers to strengthen law and order in their state, especially regarding our mothers and sisters, and take strictest action, be it in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh or Manipur."

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had accused the PM of making a "false equivalence" and asked him why the Manipur chief minister had not been dismissed.