Ashok Gehlot asks Rajasthan Govenor to convene Assembly session on July 31; Congress steps up protests

After facing setbacks in courts, Congress has decided to take its fight to save the Rajasthan government from the “expansionist” BJP to the people by staging sit-in protests at Raj Bhavans across the country.

Congress also stepped up attack on Rajasthan Governor Kalraj Mishra for delays in calling the session of the state Assembly and accused him of working at the behest of the Modi government.

Mishra had sought clarification on six counts on the proposal sent by Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot to seek a trust vote amid a rebellion by his former deputy Sachin Pilot.

Gehlot on Sunday made a fresh recommendation to the Governor to call a session of the state Assembly citing Covid-19 outbreak as the agenda and July 31 as the date for convening the session.

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The chief minister has made no reference to seeking a trust vote in the communication to the Governor.

“Such superficial, clearly motivated, digressive and extraneous queries establish beyond doubt that they are coming from the highest authorities of the central government and being parroted without change as His Master’s Voice from Raj Bhavan in Jaipur,” Congress spokesman Abhishek Manu Singhvi told reporters here.

Ahead of the street protests on Monday, Congress leaders raised a Twitter storm by posting short videos decrying the BJP attempts to topple Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot’s government.

“The test of leadership is done during a crisis. In times of the national crisis of corona, the country needs a leadership that works in public interest. But the BJP government at the Centre has made its intentions clear and displayed their true character by trying to topple elected governments,” AICC General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said.

Rajasthan unit of the Congress announced that it would not stage any protest at the Raj Bhavan on Monday as part of the ‘Save Democracy-Save Constitution’ nation-wide protests called by the AICC.

Gehlot and MLAs supporting him had staged protests on the Raj Bhavan lawns on Friday.