High command was compelled to take decision against them, says CM Ashok Gehlot on Sachin Pilot's sacking

After sacking Deputy CM Sachin Pilot, two other ministers, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot met Governor Kalraj Mishra and submitted the proposal to remove Sachin Pilot as Deputy CM, and Vishvender Singh and Ramesh Meena as ministers.

Image courtesy: ANI

Jaipur: After sacking Deputy CM Sachin Pilot, two other ministers, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot met Governor Kalraj Mishra here on Tuesday (July 14) and submitted the proposal to remove Sachin Pilot as Deputy CM, and Vishvender Singh and Ramesh Meena as ministers. The Rajasthan Governor accepted Gehlot's proposal with immediate effect.

Talking to media persons, Ashok Gehlot said that there is nothing in Sachin Pilot's hands, it is the BJP which is running the show, adding "BJP has arranged that resort and they are managing everything. The same team which worked in Madhya Pradesh is at work here."

Gehlot said that "the party High command was compelled to take the decision because since a long time BJP was conspiring and resorting to horse-trading."

The Rajasthan CM further said "I have not complained against them, the party was forced to remove them because their attitude was not good for the past six months," adding "We knew it was a big conspiracy, and now some of our friends went astray because of it and went to Delhi."

Earlier in the day, the Congress sacked Sachin Pilot from the posts of Rajasthan's deputy chief minister and the party's state unit chief, besides removing his loyalists Vishvendra Singh and Ramesh Meena from the state cabinet. The decision was taken after a Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting at the Fairmont Hotel in Jaipur. 

Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said Education Minister Govind Singh Dotasara will be the new Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chief. 

Surjewala said Sachin Pilot enjoyed the affection and blessings of Congress president Sonia Gandhi and was given political power at a young age. Yet, he and other ministers were trying to topple the state government as part of a BJP conspiracy.