Rajasthan crisis: BJP ally Hanuman Beniwal announces support to Sachin Pilot

Vibha Sharma

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, July 17

National Convener of the Rashtriya Loktantrik Party Hanuman Beniwal on Friday announced support to rebel Congress leader Sachin Pilot and slammed the Ashok Gehlot Government in Rajasthan for “misusing” SOG .

Beniwal, who yesterday charged senior BJP leader and former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje with “trying to save the Ashok Gehlot Government”, said, “What I say, I do, and the pledge (beeda) that Sachin Pilot has taken to dislodge the anti-people government of Ashok Gehlot, I am with it”

Beniwal, who represents Nagaur in the Lok Sabha and is a NDA ally, also criticised the Gehlot Government for “misusing SOG to save itself at a time when the cases of violence and threats against politicians are collecting dust in police stations, the government is lodged in hotels, bureaucrats are running the show and routine work of people is suffering”.

Notably, Beniwal was suspended from the BJP in 2013 after his remarks against BJP politicians and their connections with Congress leaders. 

He later successfully organised five Kisan Hunkar Maha Rallies (Nagaur, Barmer, Bikaner, Sikar, Jaipur) and launched his political outfit, Rashtriya Loktantrik Party, in 2018. 

Technically, he cannot be counted as someone from the BJP but political observers believe he is saying what he is with the support of its central saffron leadership.

Beniwal, who represents Nagaur in the Lok Sabha, yesterday accused Raje of “making all efforts to save the minority government of Ashok Gehlot” and “ringing up many Congress leaders in this context”.  

He also claimed Raje called up her loyalists (in the BJP) and told them to support Gehlot and that he had the proof of the former BJP CM “telling Jat MLAs from Sikar and Nagaur to keep distance from Sachin Pilot” 

Beniwal said people of the state are well aware of the close association between Raje and Gehlot and how they try to cover up each other’s “corruption”.

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