Gehlot sacks minister for criticism of govt

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Friday sacked Rajendra Singh Gudha as minister of state for questioning his own government’s performance in handling the recent incidents of crimes against women in the state. Governor Kalraj Mishra accepted with immediate effect the recommendation of Gehlot to sack Gudha, said Raj Bhawan.

This came hours after Gudha had criticised his own Congress-led government over the safety of women in Rajasthan. During the discussion on the Rajasthan Minimum Income Guarantee Bill 2023 in the state Assembly, Congress MLAs waved placards on the Manipur violence, but the protest did not go down well with Gudha, who sought accountability from his own government on crimes inflicted against women.

News agency ANI quoted Gudha as saying in the Assembly, “It is true and should be accepted that we have failed in women’s safety. Instead of Manipur, we should look within ourselves that atrocities on women have increased in Rajasthan.”

Gudha held charge as Minister of State for Sainik Kalyan (Independent Charge), Home Guard and Civil Defence, Panchayati Raj and Rural Development.

Leader of the Opposition Rajendra Rathore slammed the state government saying Rajasthan tops the chart of crimes against women. “Cabinet minister Rajendra Gudha himself is stating the reality of atrocities being done on sisters and daughters in Rajasthan. According to Article 164(2) of the Constitution, the cabinet works on the basis of collective responsibility and the state of a minister is considered to be that of the entire cabinet,” Rathore later tweeted.

He also asked Gehlot, who is also the home minister, to take responsibility for the “poor” state of law and order in Rajasthan. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Shanti Dhariwal responded to the charges saying that the state government has supplied the House with the statistics that show that the maximum number of atrocities were committed on women during BJP rule.

Taking to Twitter, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came down heavily on Congress and said the minister was removed for “speaking the truth”.

“Women empowerment, Congress style, with a dash of Indira Gandhi inspired democratic temperament! A Minister in Rajasthan Govt is removed for speaking the truth. Mohabbat Ki Dukan offers no space for honest customers it seems. Only the corrupt and liars are welcome in this Dukan!” the party tweeted.

Other BJP leaders also joined to slam Congress over Gehlot’s decision to sack Gudha from the state cabinet.

(with inputs from PTI)