Shah demands Gehlot resignation over ‘red diary’

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday demanded the resignation of Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot over a “red diary” which, he alleged, contained details of corruption and black deeds of the state government.

Addressing a “Sahakar Kisan Sammelan” in Gangapur City in the poll-bound state, Shah said the BJP-led central government raised the agriculture budget by six times and formed a separate ministry for cooperatives, whereas the Congress had done nothing for farmers.

Pointing to a few people who raised slogans during the event, the home minister said, “I want to tell Gehlot saab that you will achieve nothing by sending some people to shout slogans. If there is any shame left in him, he should resign over the ‘red diary’ issue and enter the election fray.”

“Nowadays Gehlot saab is very afraid of the colour red. The colour of the diary is red, but black deeds are hidden in it. The red diary has details of multi-crore corruption,” he said.

Sacked Rajasthan minister Rajendra Gudha had claimed that the red diary which he had secured from the residence of Congress leader Dharmendra Rathore during an income tax raid in July 2020 on the directions of the chief minister had details of Gehlot’s financial transactions.

Assembly polls in Rajasthan is slated for later this year. Addressing the event, Shah said the BJP government at the Centre has done a lot for farmers and initiated several schemes for them.

He said that during the erstwhile Congress regime, the agriculture budget was Rs 22,000 crore and the Narendra Modi government raised it by six times in nine years to Rs 1,25,000 crore.

Shah, who also holds the Cooperation portfolio, said the BJP government fulfilled the long-pending demand of farmers and constituted a separate ministry for cooperative societies.