Sachin Pilot's ultimatum to Ashok Gehlot: Agree to demands by month-end or face state-wide agitation
Jaipur, May 15: Flanked by at least 14 other Congress MLAs at a rally here on Monday, dissident leader Sachin Pilot served notice on Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot - agree to their demands by the month-end or face a state-wide agitation.
The intensification of the Gehlot-Pilot tussle in Rajasthan Congress came on a day when the party's central leadership struggled to pick between the two CM contenders Siddaramaiah and D K Shivakumar in Karnataka after winning the assembly polls there.
The public meeting marked the completion of Pilot's five-day foot march from Ajmer to Jaipur over "inaction" by the Gehlot government on "corruption" during the previous BJP term in the state.
Apart from a call for a high-level probe into corruption, Pilot spelled out two other demands disbanding the Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC) and its reconstitution, and compensation for those affected by the cancellation of government recruitment exams after paper leaks.
"If action is not taken by this month-end on these three demands, an agitation will be launched across the state," the former deputy chief minister said.
The former deputy CM also referred to the one-day fast he held last month.
"So far, I have done anshan' and taken out a yatra'. If action is not taken in the interest of the youth on these three demands, I will launch an agitation in the entire state," he said.
"We will walk on foot with people in villages and hamlets, and get them justice," he added, as the crowd of several thousand people shouted in support.
Pilot said nothing will cow him down.
"I promise that I will continue to serve the people of Rajasthan till my last breath, even if I remain on any post or not. Nothing can scare me or suppress me. I have fought for you and will continue to do so," he said.
Pilot said his agitation was not against anyone but against corruption and for the youth. But Gehlot, who became the chief minister after the party ignored his own claim to the post in 2018, was clearly the main target.
Rajasthan Forest Minister Hemaram Choudhary, Sainik Kalyan Minister Rajendra Gudha and SC/ST Commission chairman Khiladi Lal Bairwa were among the Congress legislators on the dais, indicating support for the leader who headed a rebellion against Gehlot in 2020.
Deependra Singh Shekhawat, Harish Meena, Giriraj Malinga, Rakesh Pareek, Ramniwas Gawriya, Indraj Gurjar, Virendra Choudhary, Suresh Modi, Vedprakash Solanki, G R Khatana, Mukesh Bhakar too were present.
The show of strength by Pilot comes just months before the assembly polls when the party hopes to return to power in Rajasthan.
When Pilot announced his fast against corruption last month, the Congress had termed it anti-party activity.
At the Jaipur rally, Pilot also referred to the boycott by CM loyalists of a Congress Legislature Party meeting in September last year, called amid speculation then that Pilot will be made the chief minister and Gehlot the party's national president.
Pilot said whoever talks about factionalism and betrayal of the party should introspect over their own "betrayal" and the "insult" to party leader Sonia Gandhi last year.
They should think over "whether we or they broke discipline", he added.
"We remained in public even after being abused and worked for strengthening the organisation, and you are abusing and maligning us after devouring the cream ( malai')," he said in an apparent reference to the Gehlot camp. "This will not do," he added.
He recalled a recent remark by the CM in which he credited BJP leaders Vasundhara Raje and Kailash Meghwal for "saving" his government in 2020 when Pilot and 18 other Congress MLAs rebelled.
"What kind of policy is this that you malign the image of your own party leaders and praise others," Pilot asked.
"I have never levelled charges against anyone. I have never said a bad word against anyone. They left no opportunity to abuse me but this does not worry me," he said, adding that in a democracy, it's the people's blessings that count.
Questioning the selection of the RPSC chairman and members, he claimed that it was common knowledge that these appointments were political.
"The appointments need to be done in a transparent manner, and people like scientists and lecturer need to be chosen," he said.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Putin meets Iran's FM Araghchi, says Russia ready to do its best to help bring peace to West Asia
Moscow (PTI): Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Monday met Russian President Vladimir Putin, who hailed the Iranian people for fighting bravely and heroically for their sovereignty and said Moscow is ready to do its best to help bring peace to West Asia as soon as possible.
Araghchi, who held talks with Omani and Pakistani leadership before arriving in Russia, met Putin in St. Petersburg and thanked him for supporting Iran, state-owned TASS news agency reported.
"Russia is ready to do everything in its power to ensure that peace in the Middle East is achieved as soon as possible," Putin said during his meeting with Araghchi, which was also attended by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
Revealing that he received a message from Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei last week, Putin asked Araghchi to convey his "gratitude for this message and best wishes for his health and well-being."
He praised the Iranian people for fighting "bravely and heroically" for their sovereignty, Iran's state-run PRESS TV reported.
"We really hope that, based on the courage and desire for independence, the Iranian people, under the guidance of the new leader, will weather this difficult period of trials and peace will come,” Putin said.
He also stressed that Russia “intends to maintain” its strategic relations with Iran.
Araghchi said that the world witnessed Iran’s strength in countering the US during the recent war, and that the Islamic Republic is a "stable and powerful establishment."
"With their courage, the Iranian people succeeded in resisting the US aggression and will be able to endure it,” he said.
He said that it became clear that Iran has “great friends and allies” like Russia, and conveyed “warmest greetings” from Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian to the Russian leader.
Araghchi said relations between Moscow and Tehran represent a “strategic partnership at the highest level” and will continue to develop "regardless of circumstances."
"We are grateful to you for the solid and strong positions in support of the Islamic Republic of Iran," he said.
Foreign Minister Lavrov said that the talks between President Putin and the Iranian Foreign Minister were "useful and constructive."
Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov later said that Russia is "ready to provide any good offices, any mediation services that are acceptable to the parties."
"We will be ready to do everything so that ultimately peace ensues, guaranteed peace, and that there is no return to hostilities," Peskov was quoted as saying by TASS.
He was asked how Moscow can assist in future negotiations on the Iranian settlement.
Araghchi arrived in Russia after his whirlwind trip to Islamabad, which, according to him, was “very productive” and involved “good consultations" with Pakistan's Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, amid uncertainty over the second round of peace talks to resolve the war in West Asia.
"We held good consultations with our friends in Pakistan. The trip was successful. We assessed the outcome of our recent (meetings) and discussed in what direction and under what conditions talks can move on,” Araghchi said in a video posted on his Telegram channel upon his arrival in St Petersburg.
Referring to the second round of talks between the US and Iran to resolve the conflict in West Asia, Araghchi said: "Developments have taken place in the negotiations."
"Despite some progress in earlier rounds, the talks failed to reach their objectives due to the Americans' approach, the excessive demands they made, and the wrong approaches they adopted. Therefore, it was necessary to consult with our friends in Pakistan to review the latest situation,” Iran's official news agency IRNA quoted him as saying.
He said that the trip to Pakistan was a good opportunity to review developments related to the US-Israeli war against Iran, expressing confidence that “these consultations and coordination between the two countries will be highly significant.”
Araghchi arrived at St. Petersburg's Pulkovo Airport early Monday, where he was welcomed by Russian officials and Iran’s ambassador to Russia, Kazem Jalali, the report said.
The first round of peace talks between Iran and the US, held on April 11 and 12, failed to bring the desired result for the parties to the conflict.
The Iranian minister arrived in Islamabad for the second time on Sunday after a short visit to Oman, where he held talks with Sultan Haitham bin Tariq al-Said on security in the Strait of Hormuz and diplomatic efforts to end the Iran-US conflict.
After Araghchi left Pakistan for Oman on Saturday, President Donald Trump announced that US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would no longer be going to Islamabad for talks with Iran, contending that Washington held all the cards on the matter.
Trump on Sunday reiterated that the US and Iranian officials can talk by phone for a peace solution to the conflict.
On Tuesday, Trump extended the two-week ceasefire with Iran indefinitely to give Tehran more time to prepare a unified proposal to end the war, just hours before the truce was set to expire.
The war began when the US and Israel jointly attacked Iran on February 28, killing Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several top commanders. The retaliation by the Islamic Republic extended the war to the entire Gulf region.
