Throughout its campaign in Rajasthan, the BJP has strengthened its hold on a “red calendar” containing incriminating material against the Ashok Gehlot-led government and its administration. Alleged photos of the diary have also surfaced on social media.
Reacting to this on Wednesday, Gehlot said the so-called ‘red dairy’ was a conspiracy hatched by BJP leaders in collaboration with a former Rajasthan minister. “We’re not worried about that,” he said.
A sacked minister, a controversy
Addressing the Assembly during a session in July, the then Minister of State Rajendrasingh Gudha urged his party’s government to look into the condition of women in the state instead of talking about crimes against women in Manipur. With the BJP attacking the Gehlot government for law and order, this was an embarrassing charge and, within hours, it was dismissed by Gehlot.
Party leaders told The Indian Express at the time that Gowda, a former BSP leader considered to be in the Sachin-pilot camp, had the action against him for a long time given his outspokenness against the Gehlot regime.
Days later, Gowda came out with a ‘red diary’ and shared alleged excerpts from it to allege irregularities in the Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA) elections headed by Gehlot’s son Vaibhav Gehlot. He said the diary belonged to Dharmendra Rathore, Chairman of the Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation (RTDC) and Gehlot’s aide, and contained other records of “misdeeds” of the Gehlot government.
Gowda also claimed to be in possession of the diary after “recovering” it – at Gehlot’s insistence – from Rathore’s residence, before income tax raids on Rathore’s properties in 2020 during an anti-government revolt Gehlot.
“The diary details the corruption and I will continue to reveal details from time to time. The government is blackmailing me and they are pressuring me… If they put me in jail, someone else will tell you (about the details in the diary),” Guda said.
Poll topic
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has since backed the allegations, as has Union Minister Amit Shah and a number of other BJP leaders, during the campaign in Rajasthan. At a rally in Sikar in July, Modi said, “Congress is speechless on the mention of red calendar… These people may put locks on their mouths, but in this election, this red calendar will make the entire Congress a niv . gol (note zero)’.
Gehlot responded, saying, “The position of chief minister has dignity. They have IT, ED, CBI — which are abusing… Can’t they get information on this diary?’
At a rally in Makrana on November 7, Shah said Gehlot should have resigned over the issue.
“I was told that Mr Gehlot gets angry on seeing the color red,” said Shah.
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
First published on: 16-11-2023 at 11:23 IST