Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has criticised the BJP government in Rajasthan over the state's law and order situation, claiming it is 'on the ventilator'. He cited NCRB data indicating a high number of rape cases and alleged that victims are being pressured when seeking justice.
Former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot has criticised the Centre for introducing a 0.4% charge on UPI transactions above Rs 2,000, alleging the decision was influenced by pressure from the United States and its payment companies like Visa and Mastercard. He highlighted a perceived shift in the government's stance on Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) for UPI, claiming it would ultimately burden consumers and small businesses while benefiting American firms.
Ashok Gehlot, who spearheaded the Congress campaign and brought it back to power in the assembly elections in Rajasthan, was on Saturday sworn in as chief minister for a second term in office.Gehlot, 57, who was the chief minister between 1998 and 2003, was sworn in at a public ceremony in front of a large number of Congressmen by Governor S K Singh. He was the only one to take oath today.
Former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot has called for a fair investigation into the alleged assault involving a BJP MLA from Sriganganagar, after police arrested three individuals in connection with the case.
'And once someone is dead in a family the ritual is to shave your head.'
Former Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot alleges a BJP leader's involvement in the NEET paper leak, accusing the state government of suppression. The SOG has detained over 150 people, with 20 handed to the CBI for questioning.
Lokesh Sharma, the former OSD of Rajasthan's ex-chief minister Ashok Gehlot, has turned approver in a phone tapping case that happened during the political crisis in the state in 2020. Sharma was accused of criminal conspiracy, criminal breach of trust and unlawfully intercepting telephonic conversations. He has alleged that Gehlot was involved in tapping of phones and gave evidence to support his claim. Sharma claims that he was directed by Gehlot to circulate recordings of phone calls to the media.
How C P Joshi is scuttling the Rajasthan chief minister's bid to retain office. Illustration: Uttam Ghosh
'They have been disturbed. They say something, do something else,' says Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot.
"I sometimes think of leaving it, but the chief minister's post doesn't leave me," Ashok Gehlot famously said earlier this year, in part as a signal to the Congress top brass not to pick someone else for the job if the party wins the assembly polls.
The second and final phase of urban local body elections in Rajasthan was marked by EVM-related glitches and voter issues, with a 57.38 per cent turnout recorded by 3 pm. Prominent leaders like Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma, and former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot cast their votes, while several incidents of disputes and alleged bogus voting were reported across various polling stations.
Rahul Gandhi is marching with a positive thought, it is a positive yatra. There is no violence, no hatred. If you are not showing this yatra, you are not fulfilling your dut
Ashok Gehlot, who led the Congress to victory in the Rajasthan election, has emerged as the frontrunner for the chief minister's post. The Congress is the single largest party with 96 seats, five short of the 101 needed for a simple majority. But there are other aspirants for the chief minister's post. State party president C P Joshi, who lost the Nathdwara constituency by a single vote, is one. He said the party need not necessarily nominate a winning candidate.
Sources close to Gehlot said that Rahul Gandhi is his first choice for the top party post.
Supporters of Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and his bete noire Sachin Pilot on Thursday got into a scuffle with each other ahead of a feedback meeting with the party workers in Ajmer, the police said.
A hotel owner was shot dead and three others critically wounded in a shooting at a hotel in Rajasthan's Churu district. Police suspect a rivalry between groups involved in the liquor trade as a possible motive. Former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has condemned the incident, citing a deterioration of law and order in the state.
Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Saturday filed a criminal complaint before a Delhi court accusing Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot of defaming him with remarks on the Sanjivani scam.
Whatever the outcome of the assembly election in Rajasthan, Ashok Gehlot is firmly ensconced in the Congress inner circle.
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar is set to meet with Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge in Delhi to discuss the state cabinet reshuffle following Siddaramaiah's resignation. Key topics include Rajya Sabha and MLC candidates, as well as potential appointments of multiple Deputy CMs to maintain social and regional balance.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Friday sacked Rajendra Gudha as minister of state, hours after he cornered the state government in the assembly.
The agency has also summoned Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's son Vaibhav Gehlot for questioning in a case related to alleged contravention of the foreign exchange law, official sources said on Thursday.
Congress leaders in Rajasthan have accused the BJP government of attempting to suppress the NEET-UG paper leak, alleging the involvement of a local BJP leader. The BJP denies the claims, while the Congress demands answers and an impartial investigation.
CCTV footage of an alleged molestation incident in Jaipur has surfaced, sparking public outrage and political criticism of the BJP government. Police are investigating the incident, which occurred on March 25, based on the available footage.
The Rajasthan Cricket Association is headed by Vaibhav Gehlot, the CM's son, so papa's presence at the match was perhaps not that surprising.
An NSUI leader has filed an FIR alleging assault and threats by aides of a BJP legislator near the Rajasthan Assembly, prompting condemnation and calls for investigation.
Ashok Gehlot may have the image of a politician with his ears to the ground but his populist policies and programmes have not yielded dividends in the elections in Rajasthan where the ruling Congress suffered a massive defeat.
Seventeen of the 25 ministers in the Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government in Rajasthan, including Govind Ram Meghwal, who also led the party's campaign committee, lost in the assembly elections.
However, Gehlot, said he will make one last-ditch effort to convince Rahul to take up the party president's post.
The ruling BJP has increased its lead over the Congress in the Rajasthan urban local body elections, winning 3,587 wards against Congress's 3,050. Independents also performed strongly, securing 2,024 wards. While BJP secured a clear majority in Udaipur, Congress won in Ajmer and Pali. Bharatpur, the Chief Minister's hometown, saw Independents leading. These elections are a crucial test for the Bhajanlal Sharma-led BJP government ahead of the 2028 Assembly polls.
Penguin Random House India has denied any external pressure influenced its decision not to publish Sonia Gandhi's memoir, 'Belonging: A Journey of Love', stating an 'impasse over a particular issue' led to the author's team withdrawing the book.
Infighting between Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot has been out in the open throughout the Congress term.
State Congress chief Govind Singh Dotasra, who along with two other ministers had offered to resign in a letter to party's national president Sonia Gandhi, had moved a proposal in this regard at the beginning of the meeting following which all ministers resigned.
'Ashok Gehlot is a senior and experienced political leader. Whatever differences he has expressed with his younger colleague Sachin Pilot will be resolved in a manner that strengthens the Congress party,' All India Congress Committee general secretary communications Jairam Ramesh said in a statement.
'They wanted to prove that the BJP was behind all this, which was not the case. Then Deputy CM Sachin Pilot even said that no one was listening to them even when they wanted to tell their side of the story, so they all got together and reached the party's high command'
A day after Rajasthan sports minister asked to be relieved from his post over the conduct of the CM's principal secretary, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Friday said Ashok Chandna's tweet should not be taken seriously as he might be under pressure due to the workload.
He said Gehlot could tell how he got the call recordings and whether the call interceptions were done legally or not.
While condemning the incident of Manipur where two women were paraded naked and molested, Modi on Thursday made a reference to states like Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh in context of law and order.
The Congress is yet to declare candidates on a majority seats as its Central Election Committee will meet on Sunday to finalise names for more seats.
