Congress Cracks Down On Sachin Pilot’s Fast, Calls It “Anti-Party Activity”

Jaipur: The Congress has warned its Rajasthan leader Sachin Pilot against going on fast tomorrow and called the move an “anti-party activity”. Mr Pilot, however, is pressing on with his fast to demand the Ashok Gehlot government take action against those involved in corrupt practices in the previous BJP government. The Gehlot government has denied Mr Pilot’s allegations of inaction, leading to a public spectacle of the ruling Congress just months away from the assembly election.

“Sachin Pilot’s day-long fast tomorrow is against the party interests and is anti-party activity. If there is any issue with his own government, it can be discussed in the party forums instead of in the media and public,” the Congress’s Rajasthan in-charge Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa said in a statement today, in what is being seen as a final effort to de-escalate the friction between Mr Pilot, who has been eyeing the Chief Minister’s post for a long time, and Mr Gehlot, the current Chief Minister.

“I have been an AICC in-charge for the last five months and Pilot ji has never discussed this issue with me. I am in touch with him and I still appeal for calm dialogue since he is an indisputable asset to the Congress party,” Mr Randhawa said, referring to his role in the All India Congress Committee.

Though Mr Pilot is demanding action against the corrupt, the latest confrontation with the Gehlot government is being seen as his attempt to put pressure on the Congress leadership to settle the issue of who will be the key face of the party in Rajasthan in an election year.