'Wrote twice but no action was taken': Sachin Pilot after concluding day-long "anti-party" fast

Sachin Pilot launched a day-long protest cum fast at Shaheed Smarak in Jaipur on Tuesday on the birth anniversary of social reformer Mahatma Jyoti Phule. He demanded that the Ashok Gehlot government take action against those involved in corrupt practices in the previous BJP-led government.

Jaipur: Even after being warned by the Congress, former Rajasthan deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot on Tuesday held his day-long fast against the alleged inaction of the Ashok Gehlot government against those involved in corrupt practices in the previous BJP-led government. Ending his fast at around 4:30 pm, Sachin spoke to media about how the allegations of corruption were already in public domain and how he had written about them to the government.

"The allegations of corruption are not new, they are already in the public domain. I wrote twice for action but no action was taken. So action should be taken so that people don't think that there is a difference b/w what we promise & what we do," Pilot said after ending the fast.

Earlier, under the banner of 'Protest against Corruption in Vasundhara Government', several workers gathered at the protest platform raising slogans of projecting Pilot as a chief minister. The Congress had termed Pilot's fast as an "anti-party" activity that was against the party's interests. The party said if the leader had any issue with his own government then he should have discussed it in the party itself instead of doing it in the media and public.

It addressed Pilot as an "indisputable asset" and appealed the leader for a peaceful dialogue. Refusing to call off his fast, Pilot said he would only speak with party leader Rahul Gandhi or party president Mallikarjun Kharge. A statement issued by AICC in-charge of Rajasthan Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa stated: "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."

The day-long fast was to protest against the Ashok Gehlot government's alleged inaction against those involved in the corrupt practices in the former Vasundhara Raje government. Pilot on Sunday had announced going on the day-long fast at Shaheed Smarak in Jaipur on Tuesday on the birth anniversary of social reformer Mahatma Jyoti Phule.

Political analysts feel the day-long fast called by Pilot, who has been eyeing the CM's post, is an attempt to pressurize the party high command on settling the leadership issue in Rajasthan as elections are around the corner. Pilot, however, said his fast had no connection with leadership and was only to press for action against corrupt leaders. He claimed to have written about the issue to Gehlot and party leadership but did not get any response. No actions were taken by the Gehlot government on the corruption of the previous BJP-led government, he alleged. The Gehlot government in turn had denied Pilot's allegations of inaction thereby causing further embarrassment for Congress.