Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Friday refuted the Congress' allegation that he was part of a conspiracy to topple the Ashok Gehlot government in Rajasthan.
The accusation, levelled against him by AICC media in-charge Randeep Surjewala, was on the basis of an alleged recording of horse trading transactions between Mr. Shekhawat and Congress MLAs and was revealed in a press conference on Friday morning. Mr. Shekhawat said that it wasn’t his voice in the recordings and that he was ready to face any probe.
‘Not my voice’
Mr. Shekhawat said, “This is not my voice.... Let there be an investigation. I am ready to face any probe,” he said after the Congress demanded his arrest.
Mr. Shekhawat is a member of the Lok Sabha from Jodhpur, Mr. Gehlot’s area of influence.
He also tweeted in Sanskrit, stating that “where there is dharma [righteousness], there is victory.”
Sources close to Mr. Shekhawat said he would cooperate with any investigation in the matter.
Also read: Desert clouds: On Rajasthan political crisis
Mr. Surjewala also demanded the arrest of one Sanjay Jain, whom he described as a BJP leader. Mr Shekhawat denied knowing Mr. Jain.
The BJP has dismissed the audio clips cited by the Congress as “manufactured”. Its spokesperson Sambit Patra said Mr. Surjewala had said soon after the rebellion by former Deputy Chief Minister of Rajasthan Sachin Pilot that if there were many utensils in a house, then they collided and made noise at times.
“The Congress is now trying to suppress this noise through a manufactured audio,” Mr. Patra said.
