India / Reply in 2 days or face disqualification: Congress issues notice to Pilot

Jaipur: Rajasthan Speaker CP Joshi has issued notices to Sachin Pilot and 18 other party members after the Congress party sought their disqualification from the state assembly. Pilot and the party members have two days to respond to the notices. Rajasthan Congress in-charge Avinash Pande said that the move follows after Pilot and other members defied a whip by not attending its legislature party meetings this week.

Pilot, along with his camp of supporting lawmakers, skipped the Congress legislature meetings in Jaipur on Monday and Tuesday that recommended action against him and sought to discuss his political fallout with chief minister Ashok Gehlot.

 Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala on Tuesday said that the party regrets that Pilot and his associates have fallen to the BJP’s trap of destabilising the Gehlot government.

“I regret that Sachin Pilot and some of his associates have been swayed by the BJP’s plot and are now conspiring to topple the Gehlot government elected by 8 crore Rajasthanis. It is unacceptable,” Surjewala said during a press briefing.

On Monday, the party tried to pacify the Pilot camp and said its “doors are open” to him or any other party member. Late on Monday evening, in a show of strength, Pilot’s official WhatsApp group shared a short video clip showing at least 16 MLAs sitting together.

The party sent another invite to Pilot on Tuesday, asking him to attend the CLP meeting. During the meeting, in a unanimous resolution, the party decided to remove Pilot from his post of state deputy chief minister and Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chief and also sacked two other ministers.

Shortly after his removal, Pilot changed his Twitter bio and posted, “ Truth cannot be defeated”. On Wednesday, Pilot said that he does not intend to join the Bharatiya Janata Party and is deciding on the future course of action. Pilot also cancelled a press conference scheduled for today.