Stepping up its attack on Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, the Congress Friday demanded his resignation as a Union minister, a day after a Jaipur court asked the Rajasthan Police to probe a complaint alleging his involvement in a credit society scam.
"The Congress Party demands that for the sake of transparency and accountability in democracy, the prime minister ask Gajendra Singh Shekhawat to tender his resignation today," party spokesperson Pawan Khera told an online press briefing.
The Congress has been alleging that Jal Shakti Minister Shekhawat was conspiring to topple its government in Rajasthan through its rebel MLAs, a charge vehemently denied by him.
After an FIR was registered against one Gajendra Singh, who was heard talking to rebel Congress MLAs in audio tapes, the Congress has asked the minister to give his voice sample to Rajasthan police’s Special Operations Group (SOG), which is probing the matter.
Khera had said on Thursday that a Court in Jaipur ordered an enquiry into the Rs 884-crore ponzi scheme, call the Sanjivani Credit Cooperative Society, an office-bearer of which was linked to the Union minister.
Shekhawat dismissed the allegation as a "political conspiracy" and took a swipe at the Congress, saying leaders of a party whose central leadership is "on bail" have been going after him.
Khera on Friday also alleged that in the last six years, one has not seen a single example of the prime minister taking any initiative to ensure transparency and accountability in democracy.
"Even, if one was wrongly accused, we (the Congress) gave several such examples. Our history is replete with such examples. Mr Prime Minister in your legacy, let there be at least one example of transparency that is our demand today," he said.
Khera also questioned as to where the “money that was being offered to rebel Congress MLAs (in Rajasthan)” was coming from and wondered if it was through such ponzi schemes.
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