The Congress high command has ordered a ceasefire between the warring camps of Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and former deputy CM Sachin Pilot in view of Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra, which enters Rajasthan in the first week of December.
Congress General Secretary K.C. Venugopal warned the leaders against making statements against each other after a meeting of the party leaders was held in the Congress war room in Jaipur. He said, "if anyone violates the guidelines and makes statements against party leaders, they will be removed from the post in 24 hours."
"Now is not the time to weaken the party by making statements against each other. If we fight among ourselves then how will we compete with BJP? Despite my guidelines, the kind of statements made by many ministers and leaders in the past have sent a wrong message to the people."
Venugopal held the meeting to take stock of the preparations for the Bharat Jodo Yatra.
During the meeting, he also expressed displeasure over the questions raised by Congress' Punjab in-charge Harish Chowdhary. When Venugopal asked to stop the rhetoric, Harish Chowdhary counter-questioned that "if a leader has any feelings, how would he express them?" On this, Venugopal expressed displeasure against Chowdhary in an almost reprimanding tone.
Venugopal said, "When a leader sitting in responsible positions like you talks like this, then what can be expected from the rest. No one will give any statement outside. This guideline has already been issued, after that what more is left to say?"
A major political crisis erupted in Rajasthan Congress on September 25 when the Congress MLAs called a parallel meeting to an official meeting called by Congress high command. Since then, the leaders have been levelling allegations against each other.
United Colours of Rajasthan
Days after trading barbs, both Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot attended the meeting that was convened to discuss preparations for the Congress' Bharat Jodo Yatra that is expected to enter Rajasthan in the first week of December.
Earlier, when CM Gehlot arrived for the meeting, Pilot greeted him with folded hands, following which Gehlot also greeted him with his hands folded. Later, Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee chief Govind Singh Dotasra shared photographs on Twitter with a caption 'The United Colours of Rajasthan'.
Those seen in the photographs are Dotasra, along with Congress General Secretary K.C. Venugopal, Pilot and Gehlot.
Recently, differences between the Gehlot and Pilot turned worse after the veteran Congress leader called his former deputy a traitor during an interview with a media outlet.
According to sources, Venugopal made the two leaders meet each other in a closed room, and then made both Gehlot and Pilot raise hands in front of the media, and say: "This is Rajasthan Congress. We are completely united".
After the meeting, both interacted with the media together. While Gehlot said "everyone is united in Rajasthan", Pilot said "we will strengthen the party together. No one can provoke us".
Meanwhile, Venugopal said that Pilot and Gehlot submitted that "we will work unitedly not only till the Bharat Jodo Yatra but elections".
